Only You Ta
by AGx-07
Summary: A year goes by since that day; everyone forgets or just pretends to and life goes back to normal...that is until my nose starts to bleed. Then everything changes.
1. Some life this is!

Hey. This story is completed already but I decided to go back and correct all my typographical errors, correctsome information and add a little more depth to the plot. I didnt change it, i just made it better. So...to any who will read, read, review and relax. It'll be worth it.

* * *

Chapter I

_Some Life This Is!_

Am I the only one who remembers or is it that no one else wants to remember? To remember what happened that day. Maybe they chose to block their memories, so long that they eventually just went away.

I don't want to remember either but I can't escape my memories. The thoughts are stuck in my head and they just won't go away. I remember well.

My life had been hard before and continues to be hard after but it was simple then, before Haruko came. But a year has passed since then. Our town has been rebuilt and after Canti disappeared everything went back to normal, plain and ordinary.

But some things never change.

/\

"Like I said, yours is the only head that works right Ta-Kun." A soft, familiar voice rang in my mind while I slept; like a tape playing over and over in my ear, night after night I'd have this same dream.

I would usually stay silent looking around in my little dream world. I look left and I see a clear white void. If I looked up or right I would see the same. Looking down I wouldn't even see myself. I would sometimes wonder if I were even there.

"Where are you?" I said hesitantly. As faded and echoed as the voice seemed, I knew it was mine. I knew I was there. I would ask the same question over and over and never get an answer. Not too long after, I would wake.

I would grumble and gripe. Almost every morning I would be awoken the same way, violently shaken. If not by my father complaining about my breakfast getting cold, then by Ninamori, shaking and all too often smacking me in the face with books because I was late for school. She was a bit of a pest.

I would tell her to forget me and just go since whenever she came to get me, I would make her late for school too but she was just too stubborn. Regardless of what I said, she just does what she wants, just like my father. I tell him not to let her in in the morning, so he leaves the door open at night. No one ever listens to me.

I turned in the bed to face the wall and the on to my back trying to get comfortable. Since I didn't feel any books smashing against my head yet I assumed that it was just Kamon trying to wake me for breakfast and since I wasn't that hungry anyway, I figured that I had an extra few minutes before I needed to wake. So I pulled my arms up from under the covers and folded my hands underneath the pillow and gave off a little smirk. No sooner did I crack the slightest of a smile though, a heavy book came crashing down, landing hard and flat on my face which caused my nose to make a cracking sound as it moved when the book slid off.

I grunted and balled my fists, un-squinted my eyes and in the most calm voice I could faint said, "You know, there are easier ways to wake people up."

"Yeah," She said. "But none of the other ways seem to work very well on you, Naota." I sat up and yawned, averting her gaze while I examined her. Again she wore the overly plain uniform the school assigned to us, black and white, this time accessorizing with a dark colored headband pushing back her newly regrown hair. There was nothing special though. It was typical.

"What time is it?" I asked with a yawn.

She began her answer with the start of a smart remark but stopped before she got the whole thing out, slapped her hands over her mouth and gasped saying, "Oh my God". I glared at her in confusion while she blinked with the real nervous look in her eyes.

"What?" I asked.

"Your nose."

"My….nose?"

"It's bleeding." She said pointing with a trembling finger. I ran a finger under my nose to check and looked at the blood that started coming out. I never pictured Ninamori to be the type of person to be squeamish at the sight of blood but I realized that it wasn't the blood that made her act so frantic, it was the thought of what I'd do. She expected me to snap and that's exactly what I did.

"This is great." I said with sarcastic fury. "Now my nose if gonna be red all day!"

"Don't yell at me." Ninamori complained.

"Why not? It's your fault!" I stood up and threw a sock off the floor over my nose to catch the blood as it started running faster. "Dif dood dus wade be ub dike dorbal peoble bould!"

"Sorry. I just don't want you to be late for school all the time."

Not like this was going to help any, I thought to myself since there was no point in speaking. Talking just made my throat hurt and my words weren't coming out right anyway. I just glared at her the whole way downstairs and on my way into the kitchen to get some ice from the freezer.

/\

For the first time in a long time was able to walk to school in silence. Usually, Ninamori would be bugging me with questions about school, how her uniform looks on her or whether or not I think she looks better with or without her glasses. I would always answer by saying that I didn't care, not that it matted since she never wore the glasses anyway.

Today was special however. She didn't bug my like she normally does. She stayed silent and walked beside me, watching me with a careful gaze. I ignored it and walked silently as well

"I'm really sorry, Naota." She said finally.

"Forget it. It's not the end of the world."

Thanks to my injury it took me much longer than usual to dress with my having to hold the ice over my nose. She offered to hold it for me but it only took a glare from my end to remind her that I didn't need her in the room while I dressed.

Fortunately, as Ninamori may put it, we made it out in time enough to make it to school before first bell if we hurried. But I never hurried to school and I didn't really care if I were late or not. We made it just in time to be late, not a bother to Ninamori but I always hated going into class late because the teachers would always get on this whole responsibility trip and just never stop.

"Now go straight to class this time, Naota." Ninamori said as she opened the door to her class. "I don't want to have to pick you out of detention again."

"Okay mom." I said sarcastically. She patted me on the head and smiled at me like I was a child and kissed me on the cheek in the same manner; then she dashed off into her class without a word.

For the moment I just stood where with my hand on the side on the side of my face, staring blankly down the hall. There were no thoughts except the leftover frustration from this morning and the reminder of my cherry tip nose. Besides the fact that I really didn't want to be here, I didn't want anyone to see. I decided that it was best I just go home.

But I couldn't just waltz out the front door. They wouldn't let me out. There was only one way I could escape without being caught, not that I really cared too much but I didn't want to hear it from my dad when I got home who just recently got on this whole _'being responsible' _thing. If I got caught, they'd call him and then I'd be in for a long boring speech that would have nothing to do with nothing. He wouldn't ground me or send me back to school, just talk, which I believe was punishment enough in itself.

If I wanted to get out I would have to go downstairs into the basement and use the old and broken emergency exit.

When I got there the door was closed for once but all I'd have to do would be to give it a little kick to open it. It would be easy to do but I never made it to the door. I stopped in the dark hall when I noticed a poster hanging off the wall there, something I hadn't seen before.

I lifted it up and gave it a look-over. It was a poster with a picture of Mamimi on it, posing with a camera. She had a weird smile on and a strange gaze. I know it was just a picture but it felt like she were actually looking at me and I couldn't shake the feeling. Looking at that poster made me thing about her. I hadn't seen her since that day. She said goodbye to me and left school. I'd heard that she went to America to become a photographer.

Thinking about her now made all the memories of that day come rushing back to me; memories of her and memories of Haruko. The thoughts alone were enough to actually give me a headache but I was so mad at Haruko that I actually cursed her as I stood in that hallway.

And that was the last thing I remember doing. As I stood there my head began throbbing and my whole body felt hot. The world around me seemed to disappear until there was nothing but this pain. I'd felt this way before. It was a feeling I didn't miss.

"Yours is the only head that works right Ta-." A voice rang out in my head. That was the last thing I heard before I fell forward and passed out.


	2. Say Cheeze!

Chapter II

_Say Cheese!_

There was once a time when the thought of her graced my mind but after that day everything changed. Haruko was gone and now her memory was a haunting one. Every night while I sleep, she haunts me in my dreams.

"Go away!" I yelled. I turned my back to where I thought the voice was coming from and tried to ignore it.

"Tisk, tisk, tisk, Ta-Kun. Is that any way to treat an old friend?"

"You only tried to use me. You're no friend of mine."

"…Friends can forgive each other." The voice said hesitantly, ringing ominously around me.

"No!" I shouted and I tried to run away but I never moved. Again, my body seemed to have vanished in this white void.

"It's very vacant here isn't it Ta-Kun."

"Shut up." I shouted again.

"You're all alone without me, huh Ta-kun. Just like at home right?"

"No! This is just a dream. You're not even real, what do you know?"

"There isn't a lot of difference between dreams and reality. In truth, they have more in common."

"Like what?" I asked in response.

"In either world, nothing ever goes your way." She said her final words the voice faded and everything blacked out. I couldn't see or feel anything. After a while, I heard another voice, though I couldn't tell whose.

"Naota. Naota!" Someone yelled to me but I saw no one.

Then another voice yelled the same, "Naota!" This one was familiar although I couldn't pin a name to it. "Here, help me lift him up." He said finally. Then I heard nothing.

I don't know what happened after that. I blanked out and the next thing I knew I felt warm but I was….shivering somehow. Now shivering. Shaking. Who was shaking me?

/\

A vary familiar scene took place. When the shaking stopped my head was bombarded with unnecessary pain. The corner of a thin book connected with me between the back of my neck and ear. Man did that hurt.

"What did I tell you about that!" I shouted.

I was surprised at the voice I heard when the response I got was, "About what?" For once it wasn't Ninamori as I had expected. I turned around in bed to see the ugly mug staring down at me.

"Dad?" I said wearily. I sat up and looked around curiously and confused. "How'd I get here?" I asked.

"Somebody carried you here a few days ago." He answered. "You really shouldn't go around falling asleep in dark basements."

"A few days ago? And where were you?"

"I was at yoga." He answered proudly. I sighed and began my climb out of bed. I felt hot and sweaty, then I realized that I was still dressed in the clothes I had on in school that day and they completely stunk. "That Ninamori girl has been stopping by every morning to check on you. So hurry up, someone's downstairs to see you."

"Who? Is it Ninamori?" I asked. Then I caught a glimpse of the clock. Ninamori couldn't be here. At this time, she would already be in school. My father didn't answer me either. He left without a word.

I was curious to say the least. No one comes here to see me, not even my friends. Only Ninamori and she would have come up not wait downstairs for me, so it was easy to rule her out. The only feasible assumption I could come up with was that it be a teacher or something from school, here to have a meeting with my dad and me. Not that I would get punished or anything, I just really wasn't in the mood for it.

The only thing I could do was procrastinate but before that I took a long, hot shower. My body stunk under my _few day old _clothes and it was a total relief to wash that feeling away. As I sent there drenched in water and dripping with soap, I tried to replay in my mind what happed in that basement.

When I closed my eyes and tried to imagine it I came up only with a blank and the more I tried to make sense of it the more it just made my head hurt, adding to the pain my gracious father left me with. Eventually the pain became too much but didn't last long. In the instance of a pop the pain was gone and I found myself again in the void world of white. I didn't like being there, so I opened my eyes and woke up.

I made my way back to my room slowly, picked out an ordinary outfit slowly, and dressed just as slow. For some reason now, I felt angry. Frustration overcame the calm persona I tried put on. I couldn't explain it but I felt the need to grab my bat.

I grabbed it out of my closet then I just stood and looked at it. Eventually I was forced out of the doorway when something came crashing down from the top level. The blue electric guitar that Haruko left behind in the rubble when she left. I felt strange looking it and an urge to smash things with my bat suddenly came over me.

"Nothing can happen until you swing the bat." A voice rang out in my head. Familiar but faded. Where did it come from?

I found myself staring at the guitar before me until the stare became vacant and unconscious. I started to daydream about the day Haruko was my batting coach. She told me I had to swing the bat which seemed more like a metaphor for something than a statement about baseball.

"I hate baseball." I said to myself. Then I stopped staring. I was no longer in my room at this time. I had left and was well on my way down the stairs, bat in hand.

When I realized what I was doing I immediately stopped myself. From holding the bat in both hands I let the large end drop to the floor and stared at it. My intention was to turn back however, I was spotted before my body could react to my minds inclination to move.

"Still carrying that bat around everywhere, ay Ta-Kun?" I was looking down at the time it was spoken. My eyes lit up and opened wide as shock took over. I recognized the voice. It was one I never expected to hear again.

"M-Mamimi!"

"Cheese!" She said with a big flashy smile. I dropped my bat and just stared.

/\

"I thought you were….What are you doing here?" I asked her. She sat calmly and answered.

"I heard Ta-Kun had an accident at school. I came to see if you were alright, Chief." I wondered how she knew about that and then I saw my dad heading out the back door. I figured that he must have said something.

"So you came all the way here, all that way, to see me?"

She smiled a big cheesy smile and blatantly crossed her fingers before answering in here usual childish tone, "Yup!"

After that, a silence fell over us while we stared each other down. I was examining her as I imagine she was doing the same to me. Mamimi had on a t-shirt with some kind of strange flower design on it. It was tight and only went down to about her belly button. Below that she wore a pair of thigh length jean shorts that were slightly ripped over the left leg. Her hair was usual though, long and flowing down her back.

It had been a year since I last saw Mamimi and I never thought I'd see her again. We didn't even speak before she left but something was different about her now. Somehow, she seemed to be more mature. Somehow.

Before long I sat my bat down and made my way into the kitchen, sitting at the across from her at the table. "Nice outfit." I said as I sat.

"Thanks." She said gleefully. "I picked it out special, Ta-Kun."

I glared at her a moment. "I thought I told you to stop calling me that." I said. For a moment, she looked confused. Maybe she'd forgotten after all this time or maybe she just hadn't changed at all.

"Why?" She asked me.

"It's not my name."

"Haru-san calls you Ta-Kun." She said.

"Haruko isn't here anymore. So no one calls me that anymore."

"Do you miss Haru-san?"

"No." I answered glumly.

"Do you still think about her?" She then asked. "Do you still love her?" She asked with a laugh. Of course the answer was no but I chose not to answer at all. I simply looked away from her and let another silence come along.

The silence was short this time. The stillness must have bothered Mamimi because it didn't take long before she changed her expression and spoke. More serious this time.

"Hey Ta-Kun, guess what?" She said.

"You're insane?" I answered jokingly. Mamimi cracked a smile and laughed a bit at that.

"Besides that." She said. "It's about Tasuku."

"Tasuku? You found him?" I asked. Mamimi responded by a simple nod with a hidden smile. I didn't know what to assume. I didn't care too much to hear that they may be together again. "What about him?" I asked then.

"Here." Mamimi said. She reached under the table where she was sitting and slid a bag from underneath. It was filled with all sorts of junk. She seemed to be looking for something specific. After a moment, she pulled a small, already opened envelope addressed to me from inside and handed it to me.

Inside the envelope was a card with something written on it. I only needed to skim a few words on it to know what it was and what it was about. "A wedding invitation!" I looked up at Mamimi who smiled a strange smile at me. I didn't know whether to be happy or not but I said, "Congratulations" anyway. And suddenly, her smile melted away.

"Congrats for what?" She said with confusion. "I'm not getting married." And there it hit me. It had slipped my mind that Tasuku had picked up another girlfriend in America. It just had been so long since he'd written me that I just forgot.

I looked at Mamimi again who was strangely silent now with her looking down toward the floor. She seemed so different now that it was scary. It was hard to believe that this could possible be the same Mamimi from a year ago. She seemed smarter, more collected and not as weird as before. I can't say I mind the change. It's just strange.

The two of us just sat there silently in our thoughts for a few minutes. Eventually, I stood and moved away from the table, heading toward the fridge behind Mamimi. It was going on noon and I hadn't eaten anything yet. No sooner did my back get to her did she stand and jump on it, wrapping her arms around the front of my chest and holding me tight. I just let my arms dangle and did nothing.

"Hey, Ta-Kun?" she said in a low mellow tone. I didn't answer. I waited a moment until she spoke again. "Do you wanna take a picture?" She asked. She let me go and I turned to face her.

"A picture?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun." Mamimi said childishly.

"Okay." I said hesitantly.

"Okay great. Wait right there." She ran over to her bag and began to rummage through the mess again, throwing clothes and camera equipment all over the place before she pilled out a small purple toy and tossed it to me; a Bo Bo, but it want a baby and I didn't need this. "Put that in your mouth." She said.

"What? No."

"Come on, Ta-Kun, please? It's for the picture."

"No." I said again sternly and I tossed the thing away. There, Mamimi gave me this really sad puppy dog look trying to con me into it. In the past that wouldn't have worked but for some reason, today, I caved. "Okay fine." I said.

"Great!" And her face went back to cheery again. This was the odd Mamimi I remembered. Perhaps she hadn't changed so much after all.

Going back to her bag she pulled out the equipment she needed; a Sony brand camera and a tripod to stand it on. After pressing a few buttons on it and orienting the viewer she moved to me and stood at my side.

"Ready?" She asked me. I picked up the little rubber thing from the floor, popped it in my mouth after wiping it off and nodded. "Okay." She said. "Say cheese."

I crossed my arms and said with a grunt, "Cheese." And just with the flash, as quick as lightening, Mamimi turned and leaned in and gave me a little kiss on the cheek. The exact same side and spot where Ninamori had kissed me a few days ago.

My eyes lit up wide almost immediately but I didn't have time to react. The photo was taken. I can just imagine how that would look when it came out.


	3. This Is Mamimi Now

Chapter III

_This is Mamimi Now_

Have you ever noticed how life, like the world, sometimes seems to go in circles? How you know that winter has passed, though you know it will eventually come back. The longer I stay here the more I realize how hard life can be and I sometimes wonder if I'll see life revolve. At times I think so but I don't know if I'll be able to handle my coldest winter a second time.

But my cold days are nothing compared to what she went through.

For the first time, Mamimi and I had a long, serious conversation. I had a lot of questions and Mamimi seemed eager to answer.

Word was that Mamimi had become a famous photographer in America with newspapers and publishing companies. No one knew the truth though since no one had seen nor heard a word from her since she left and people tend to exaggerate at times.

"Famous isn't exactly the word I'd use." Mamimi said after I explained it to her. Her calm expression changed to a very familiar and depressing one as we broke into a short silence. "America's not exactly the land of opportunity like I thought it was."

The tone of Mamimi's voice became more uneasy the longer we spoke, from calm to a very melancholy one. In her tone and the way she spoke you could feel a particular sense of maturity coming from Mamimi that wasn't there before. In the passing time she seemed to have changed dramatically. It was odd and unsettling.

"So, how _has _your career been going?" I asked. We evacuated the kitchen and moved out to the back side of the house. It was dark out with a soothing, warm breeze. The unsettling feeling I'd felt passed on once we were out there. It was relieving.

"I take pictures for a living," She said. "How do you think its going?"

I became a little confused by the way she'd said that. "I thought you liked taking pictures."

"I did." She said. "Well I do but…."

"But what?"

"Taking pictures is fun but it's hard to find a good job."

"Is the pay bad?" I asked.

"The pay stinks." She said with a smile. "Freelance thinks."

"Freelance?"

"Yeah. That's what they called it." She said then explained it to me. "I take the pictures and send them in and if they like them, I get paid. But it's hard to find stuff they like."

"Okay. Your pay does stink. Where'd you live then?" I asked.

"I lived in a cheap hotel. It always smelled bad there and most of the stuff didn't work but I never made enough money to move. When I did get some money, after I got some food and paid the rent, I was broke again. For a while," She said with a smile. "I had to live outside.

"I see." I said in what I hoped was a comforting tone. There was nothing to smile about, yet she did so anyway. I suppose that was just a part of her character though. No matter what was going one, she always seemed weird and happy. Some things never change.

For as long as I've known Mamimi it's been this way for her. She's always had an unstable life.

A few months ago I read an article in a mini-zine about Mamimi. There was a small section talking about her fame in America, then a long two page bio on her. It described how her parents left her behind back when she was my age: 'One day, her mother and father dropped her off at school and never came back. No one knows what happened to them'.

The week after that there were rumors all over town about Mamimi. Some people said that her parents were too poor to keep her while others say that they were dead, though no one could recall any memories of them.

Mamimi never spoke of her parents either and while I never knew, I'd sometimes wonder where she lived. I'd always either see her with my brother or down by the river after he left. Now wasn't the time to ask. I didn't bother bringing any of that up either. I didn't believe they hype considering the source. My dad was a terrible researcher.

"Anyway, how's it been for you lately, Ta-Kun?"

"A lot better since Haruko left," I said. "And even better once all the jokes stopped." For a while after, people made fun of me for saying to Haruko that I loved her. It was annoying and I was glad when it stopped.

"Oh. Ta-Kun was embarrassed?" She asked. "You don't have to be ashamed because you were in love."

"Is that right?"

"I don't feel bad about Tasuku, if that's what you mean." That was exactly what I meant and it seemed strange to me that she picked up on it so fast and even more so that she came out and said something about it.

"Yeah, well, you didn't love somebody was insane, smashed you with guitars all the time, and was constantly being hit on by your father did you?"

"Well when you put it like that, maybe you should wear a paper bag over your head." Said with a big smile. I returned her a little glare and stood to go back inside. The warm breeze from earlier turned cold and I was tired. "Past your bed time?" She asked.

"No. I'm just tired." I continued most of the way in but I never slid the door closed. I stopped when I noticed that Mamimi hadn't moved from the spot where she was sitting. "You gonna sit there all night?" I asked.

"No." She responded, curling up into a ball and leaning against the wall.

"Hmph. I thought so." I said to myself. Mamimi turned and looked at me with curious eyes for a moment but didn't speak. "It's fine." I said. "You can stay here for the night. My dad won't mind but just tonight. Tomorrow you gotta go somewhere else."

Mamimi jumped up with glee and dashed in the door before me, cheerfully replying, "Thanks" as she passed. As I had somewhat expected, Mamimi had nowhere to go, if she ever did but that didn't explain why she came here.

"You can sleep in grandpa's old room." I told her. That room was now vacant with grandpa gone. He moved into a rest home a few months after that day. It was a fine room after we fixed it up, though Mamimi firmly refused my offer with a stern shake of her head and crossed arms. "What's wrong now?" I asked.

"I like bunk beds better." She responded.

"You can't have my bed!" I shouted.

"I'll sleep on the top then."

"That's…." I hesitated in my speech noticing Mamimi's gaze. In my mind I had the complaint laid out that it was Haruko's bed and was to be untouched just as I had when Haruko first came when it was Tasuku's forbidden bed. But there was no reason to preserve it. Haruko wasn't coming back and I didn't want her to either, so I told Mamimi "Fine. Sleep where you want."

Mamimi nodded and smiled happily. I smiled a bit too and thought. Mamimi had never slept here before, even when Tasuku was around. After he left she was pretty much forbidden to even be here by my grandfather. She seemed excited and oddly, I was too.

Before we turned in, I had one more thing to ask Mamimi. I stopped her with my question. "If you're so broke, how'd you pay to get from America back here?" I asked.

The question seemed to stump her. She kept her back to me and looked down in thought. Perhaps she would have preferred to keep it a secret because she hesitated a while before she answered. After a moment, she turned to me and sat down on the stairs, prepared to answer, she began her tale. An odd sense of maturity showed as she spoke.

"You know why I went to America, Ta-Kun?"

"Your photography career, right?"

"I wanted to find Tasuku." She said and I choked. The air froze in my lungs when she spoke. I didn't care much to hear that although it was what I had suspected and I knew already that she did indeed find him, though something had went wrong. "I heard he played baseball for a team in this place called Utah. They were called the 'Star-something's'. His team was away when I first got there so I had to wait a month before they came back. I saved all the money I made and bought front row tickets to the game when they came back. I was so happy when I saw him."

"But…" I tried to speak but Mamimi ignored my words and continued on.

"It was a close game too. Tasuku's team was down by two runs and it was the bottom of the last inning. There were men at first and second and Tasuku was at bat; he'd went the whole night with no strikes but hit two foul balls this time. He looked determined to swing again. This next pitch would mean the game."

"Mamimi…."

"The pitcher was good, too. He threw six strikes already in the inning and was ready to end it. He pulled back and threw the fastest fast ball I ever saw. But Tasuku was ready, he anticipated a fast ball and pulled his elbows up and swung.

"The ball curved at the last second but Tasuku hit it anyway, a high fly ball the center field. It just flew and flew and flew and went straight out of the park."

"Um, Mamimi." And again I was ignored.

"The whole stadium went wild. I jumped up and screamed and threw my popcorn out onto the field while all Tasuku's teammates stormed the field, jumped all over him and scooping him into the air. People in the crowd were shouting his name."

"But Mamimi." I spoke again, still not getting through. It was strange watching Mamimi tell me this. Her eyes were wide and focused. She spoke but never looked at me once, as if she were in a trance or day dreaming and she seemed so excited. But she was missing the point.

"I just kept on yelling until I saw one of the fans run on the field. I was surprised no one stopped her; this cute little blond in a skirt and sweater. She ran up to the players and set Tasuku down in front of her. He took one look at her and opened his arms for her to run in to. I couldn't speak."

I watched in amazement as Mamimi's entire demeanor changed. She calmed down as spoke with a lower tone as she continued. I just stood and watched.

"A cameraman ran onto the field and got a shot of them right when Tasuku threw his hat down and kissed her, they showed it under the scoreboard on the big screen. I sat back down while everyone else kept cheering and watched as Tasuku picked up his hat and everyone began to clear out."

Mamimi's eyes began to water at this point. She reached out and pulled me in to dry them on my shirt. I snarled to myself and pulled back. "But none of that answers my question." I said to her. Again, I was ignored.

"I just sat there until everyone left and until it got dark. I sat there until the security came to get me but when I turned to see who had touched my shoulder I saw Tasuku standing there, smiling."

"What did he say?" I asked.

"He complimented me on my outfit." She said with a smile. "A bright yellow shirt with a green T on the front and a green skirt. Team colors. He said it was hard to miss."

"And?"

"He asked me why I was there, so I lied and told him I got a scholarship for school. He didn't buy that for a second so I changed the subject and asked him why he never wrote me or anything."

"And?"

"He explained to me how he never planned on coming back here and didn't think he'd ever see me again, so he moved on and he wanted me to do the same."

"Okay," I said. "So you talked, but that still doesn't answer my question."

"I robbed a bank," She snapped. "Okay!"

"What, did you shoot them with your camera?" I said jokingly. She smiled a bit.

"Ha, ha. Real funny." She said. "Before Tasuku left he wrote me a check, kissed me on the cheek and said: 'Go home and say hi to my brother next time you see him'. By the way, Ta-Kun, Tasuku says 'Hi'. I didn't think he meant to go back to the hotel, so I came here."

I paused a moment and looked at her. "You take things to literally." I told her and I began my way upstairs after I passed her, all the while wondering why she came here. This isn't her home.

She didn't follow me immediately. She sat there for a moment and ominously said to me, "You've changed a lot too, Ta-Kun. I like the new you."

/\

I had to give Mamimi a pair of my own pajamas to wear when I realized she didn't have a pair of her own. She rummaged through her bag aimlessly while complaining that she had nothing to sleep in. I suspected she was waiting for me to make an offer.

The set I gave her was pretty new. I had grown some since I last saw her and I needed larger clothes. Luckily for her. I was still shorter than her but not by much so what I have she was just a little too short and a little too tight on her.

Strangely, I found myself staring at her. A warm, examining gaze as my mind began to drift off and I remembered how things used to be between us. A day ago I could have cared less but right now, as my heard began to beat faster and faster, I wished that things could go back to the way they were.

When I lay down in bed I still could not take my mind off her. Her voice, her body, her strange personality all seemed so perfect to me all of a sudden and when I admitted it to myself, all my muscles tightened and I felt an annoying pull in my stomach. I had a crush on Mamimi. Again.

/\

It was the first peaceful night's sleep I'd had in a while. No bad dreams, no turning and twisting. All my problems seemed to disappear when I thought about Mamimi sleeping above me. I had nothing to worry about.

I probably should have seen it coming but it was the last thing on my mind. Everything changed when the small pocket notebook landed on my forehead with a soft smack. Everything changed. Now I had something to worry about.


	4. Ninamori's ordeal

Chapter IV

_N-inamori's O-rdeal_

"You never quit do you?" I sat up from my bed and rubbed my eyes, letting the small book fall to the floor. "Is this what you call checking on me?"

"No. Your dad said that you woke up yesterday so I…."

"So you hit me with a book? You're gonna make a real good mother someday." Ninamori smiles a little then she moved over to me, put her hand on my forehead and smiled again.

"At least your fever went down." She said. "You feelin' better? What happened?"

She asked me a question I didn't have an answer for. I could tell her how I had tried to skip school, how I was sneaking around in the basement and how I passed out looking at a picture of Mamimi; which reminds me. "Where's…?"

"What?" Ninamori asked with curiosity.

"Oh. Uh. Where's my dad?" I asked trying to play off my actual curiosity.

"He's in the shower." Ninamori answered. I stood up and looked over the top bunk noticing Mamimi's absence. "He sings like a girl." She chuckled.

"A girl?"

"Hurry up and get dressed, Naota. We're gonna be late for school."

"School? I'm not going to school." I complained.

"Why not? You're okay aren't you?"

"I'm fine but…."

"But what? Oh good, he stopped singing."

"Look, you just go before you're late." I said. "I'll come later."

"No, its okay." She said. "I got a special pass from the teacher. I told her I was going to check on you again today so it's okay if we come in late." It figures she would do something like that.

"I already said I'm not going." I shouted. "So go to school, or go home or whatever."

"But."

"Why the hell's everybody wanna hang out here anyway…."

"Morning Ta-Kun." Ninamori enraged me and I had been yelling but all of a sudden life became a still when Mamimi came into the room, dressed in a moist towel and slippers, calmly brushing her teeth as we stared at her. I could see curious frustration in Ninamori's eyes.

"Is that my toothbrush?" I snapped.

"Its you?" Ninamori choked out as she stared. Mamimi flashed back a cheesy little toothpaste-foam spattered smile.

"Your name is Ninamori right?" Mamimi asked. Silence then fell over us and all of a sudden all eyes were on me, all of confusion.

"Why is she here?" Ninamori asked.

"She stayed the night." I answered.

"She stayed the night." Ninamori blinked dramatically a few times over at Mamimi and then shifted her gaze back to me. "I thought she went to America."

"It's her story." I said. "Not mine."

"I only came back for a little vacation with Ta-Kun." Mamimi said after she spit. I grunted when she did. I wished that she'd gone back in the bathroom to do it or at least spit in a cup because I did plan on wearing those shoes again.

Ninamori didn't say or do anything at first, she just stood there. I didn't know what she was thinking but she seemed a little tense. After a moment the stepped away from me and stood in front, blocking my view of Mamimi. Dropping her hands behind her back, she just looked at me calmly.

"What?" Without any other choice my gaze returned to Ninamori. I looked at her looking at me and I blinked curiously.

"Are you coming or what?" She asked.

"Where are you going Ta-Kun?"

"Nowhere." I said.

"School!" Ninamori blurted.

"I already said I'm not going."

"Why not?" Mamimi asked. And all of a sudden, the world came to a still. Of all people, it was Mamimi pleading a case against delinquency. Ninamori's shock equaled mine. Everyone knew Mamimi's record in regards to school attendance, so she was the last person you'd expect to hear something from.

"It's already too late." I complained. "I'm not even dressed yet."

"Naota, I already told you I got a pass for us." For her remark, I flashed Ninamori a cold glare to silence her.

"No excuses, Ta-Kun." Mamimi dashed over to my closet and began tossing things about, not noting the face that she was totally messing up my room.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Finding you come clothes. Hurry up and get dressed."

"I already said…."

"Ta-Kun!" Mamimi shouted. "If you mess up things now you won't have a future." And silence fell over us again while I watched her rummage through my things. I wondered if she was purposely trying to sound deep. Still, I caved.

"Fine but will you be here after?" I asked her.

Surprisingly it was Ninamori's gaze I was given in response to my question. "Why?" She asked me.

"Something I want to talk to her about." I said.

"Something we didn't cover in class yesterday, Ta-kun?"

"I guess." I answered with a shrug.

"Well hurry up and go." Mamimi said. "I'll be here later." I nodded and began to pick out pieced to wear from the mess she had made.

/\

After rummaging through the mess of clothes for a few minutes I finally picked out a blue hooded-sweater that I wore over a small white t-shirt and a pair of brown shorts. Ninamori kept insisting that I wear my uniform but it wasn't mandatory and I hadn't planned on staying in school long anyway.

I had a feeling the other students would give me a hard time about having passed out. I wasn't in the mood for that so I figured that it was just best I avoid the situation all together.

On the way out I stopped in the kitchen to see what was cooking. I caught an attractive scent as I stepped down the stairs. When I got there though, all I saw was my dad asleep at the table with his face firmly planted in a bowl of hot cereal. Had it been anyone else I may have found that scene amusing but seeing as how he does stuff like this all the time. It just seemed kind of sad.

"Mm. What smells good?" Ninamori came up behind me and put her hand on my shoulder to life herself up so she could see over my back. Noticing my dad in the bowl, she gasped.

I stepped away and turned to leave with my hands tucked down in my pockets. "Nothing that's any good anymore." I said and I walked off. Ninamori took the time out to rescue my dad from his breakfast before running to catch up with me. For some reason, she chuckled.

I was in no to get to school so I tried my best to walk at a slow pace. The later the better, I figured but for some reason it felt like I'd gotten there faster than usual. Before I knew it I was at the school and on my way up the front stairs.

Oddly enough, Ninamori hadn't bothered me at all on the way over. No bombardment of questions and no pestering comments. She did have the nerve, however, to say that _I_ was being _awfully _quiet. Not that I talked a lot anyway, I wasn't purposely being quiet. I just had a lot on my mind.

I kept getting strange vibes from Mamimi even now when I just think of her. It was a feeling that I couldn't shake. I had it in my mind that I wanted to say something to her about how I was feeling but I didn't know how to say it. It bothered me to my stomach, though that was the last of me worries at the moment. I still had a whole day of school to go through.

"Aw. Come on, Naota. Its just school. You act like its going to kill you."

"It just might." I said. We made a quick stop to check in at the office before proceeding to class after a short scolding by the principal.

I made every effort to avoid it but Ninamori insisted I go to class first and that she escort me there. I dawdled in my pace before and I slowed even more as we approached my classroom door falling behind Ninamori. "I guess I'll see you later." I said in a sarcastic manner.

"At lunch." She snapped. "And come sit at the table with us this time."

"Yeah, sure." I said lowly.

Ninamori glared at me a bit before tilting her head aside and letting out a long dramatic sigh and asking me, "You're not going to skip school again, are you?"

I shook my head, "No."

"Naota!"

"What?"

"Promise me you won't skip school."

"I already said I won't didn't I?" The way she complained about it all the time, she made it seem like I was a delinquent or something. I only skipped school a few times and there was always reason behind it.

"Promise!" The girl demanded from me.

"Okay, fine. Whatever." I reply.

"Good." She said with a smile. "Now go straight into the class, Naota. I'm watching."

How annoying was that? And she watched me the whole way in too.

/\

I had seen a war movie once about a particular soldier that was injured during a battle and was left incapacitated in a state of comatose for years. The soldier was considered missing in action and during the time he spent in the hospital, the war he was injured in ended and he was noted as a national hero along with other soldiers that went missing.

The years passed and his injuries healed. He woke up, returning to a world where he was a hero. Considered dead, his miraculous return and amazing story made him even more of an icon. Even those at home who hated him now loved him as much as any other man. There were parties and parades of celebration in his honor. He was the happiest man alive. And who wouldn't love to have all that? I would but I'm not that lucky.

When I walked in the class, I got no such reception. In face, no one said a word to me or even moved at all to recognize me. Everyone was laying with their heads down at their desks and their arms at their sides. A few kids were also laid out on the floor by the chalkboard, positioned like they had passed out. There was no teacher in the room for whatever reason.

I walked around the class, poking at some of the students as I passed them by. Some of them twitched and giggled while others held obvious strains on their faces from trying to keep them straight.

It was obvious to me that this was some kind of joke aimed at teasing me about what had happened. It wasn't a very good one though and I wasn't really in the mood for it.

I moved to my desk and stood by it while I watched the students continue with their joke. For some reason, there was no instructor here and that bothered me a little. I considered the possibility that he may have been in on it. Unfortunately, this school year our instructor was a clown—literally—as a side job and he loved to extend his antics into the classroom.

And so, in my impatience I said to the class, "If this is all we're going to do today, I'll just go back home." To that I received no response. Making my way back to the door to exit after a short wait I uttered another snide remark and was again ignored. So I made up my mind and decided to go.

To be honest it did bother me when things like this happened to me. It happened right after Haruko left and it was happening again because of an accident, however I always acted as if I didn't care. You would never be able to tell by my calm expression but to this one, I did cringe when I heard laughter ring out behind me after I closed the door behind me.

I was free now but where could I go? If I went home, oddly enough, Mamimi would probably scold me and that's one thing I didn't need. Not only that, Ninamori would carp about it too and I couldn't just hang around outside all day either. So what could I do?

I stopped my thinking for a moment to grunt at the continuous laughter that still rang out behind me. "It wasn't that funny." I said to myself. After sort of a tantrum I walked off down the hallway towards the gym. No intentions of going anywhere specific.

The halls were quiet. There was no soul to be found except mine. It seemed odd how calm the school was today. Usually, it was normal to see someone running the halls or hear the shouts of teachers as they yelled at their students. Today there was silence.

After a few minutes of aimless walking I grew bored, so much so that I thought of doing something childish. I suddenly got the urge to set off the fire alarm.

At first it was just a pointless whim but I also realized that it was a way to get out of school. The evacuation was enough of an excuse to leave the building and the uproar was enough for me to leave with a feasible story to tell when I got home. Besides that, I knew that it would piss the teachers off.

School has been such a burden since _that day_. It was like all the kids lost their minds and the teachers seemed to not care. They were no exceptions to the insanity and neither was I. Everyone seemed. Perhaps the experience was too much of an incident for simple lives. Still, everything was always ordinary.

I looked around and spotted a fire alarm at the end of the hallway. It was a long stretch so I decided to run. No sooner did I take a few steps and pick up a little speed was I reminded that I shouldn't be immature. The door to the girl's bathroom swung open in front of me and I was moving far too fast to do anything to stop myself from being hit by it. The knob of the brown door hit my chest hard followed by the door itself, smashing into my forehead.

The impact threw me back and before I knew it I was on the ground holding my ribs and taking a deep breath to gather every foul word in my vocabulary in preparation for shouting at whoever was behind that door, whether it was her fault or not but almost instantly after the hit she uttered her apology. "Oh, sorry." She said.

I didn't get to see her face before she finished her line and I exhaled without words. She didn't have to peek behind the door and look down at me nervously before I realized who she was and who else would it be?

"What'd you go and do that for?" I snapped.

"Naota?" Ninamori said so innocently. "I'm sorry but you shouldn't walk so close to doors that swing open." I heard some giggling as I stood that apparently didn't come from Ninamori. It was the high pitched chuckle of Noriko, one of the newer residents of our little town and friend of Ninamori.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" I said to the duo.

"Shouldn't you?" Noriko said in a snap retort. "He's probably cutting class." She said to Ninamori.

"You're not cutting class again, are you?" Ninamori asked.

I stalled in answering by looking around for a moment and then hesitated even more before I coughed out a "no".

"He's lying." Noriko said. She cleared the bathroom door, finally letting it close and walking off a bit. "You coming?" She asked Ninamori. "This pass is only for five minutes."

"Go on ahead. I'll catch up." Ninamori said.

"You sure? I could wait."

"No, its okay. Really."

"Okay." Noriko said in a sigh. "But you shouldn't waste your time with a loser like Naota."

"Why? So she can waste her time with a loser like you?" In response to my reply she stuck her tongue out at me before turning with prance and stomping off. Ninamori and I both watched her as she left.

Noriko Reika. She was a very strange girl. She had only been in town since the start of school and barely knew anybody—especially me—yet for some reason she always seemed to have a problem with me, never speaking to me with an ordinary tone like she does everyone else, always with attitude.

My curiosity was endless. I had questions that I knew would never be answered. As I stared a mindless stare at the girls exit another gaze was set upon me. Ninamori's violet carefully locked onto mine.

"Are you really not cutting class?" She asked.

"I said I wasn't didn't I?"

"Yeah but…."

"Oh, you don't believe me?" I said humorously.

"Not one bit." Ninamori answered with a smile.

"Well thanks." I said. "I appreciate your confidence in me."

"I was only kidding but you'd still better hurry back to class before someone catches you."

"Okay." I said but only to pacify her. I still had no intentions of going back to class.

She waited a moment and eventually turned to leave but not before kissing me on the cheek again, same side, same cheek, same spot as before and I just watched as she did it.

Again I wondered why she had done that. However, the interest passed quickly as another strange urge came over me. Mamimi came to mind and I suddenly became oddly curious about that poster from the basement. I thought maybe I should show it to Mamimi. I had nothing better to do so any idea seemed like a good idea at the time.

/\

What had happened before was weird and it was painful. Ina town like this, where everything is boring and ordinary, even the weirdest, the most painful things, somehow seem interesting. I would come to realize that my life wasn't as ordinary as it once was.

I arrived at my destination within minutes and eagerly proceeded toward the exit door. I hastily pushed aside old desks and chairs that were left there and a newly set up 'keep out' sign. At the door I stopped when I found what I wanted.

The poster was still there though not as I had left it. This time the poster was taped to the wall but there was a long and wide tear straight down the middle of it. Most of Mamimi's body was torn away. What was left was useless to me; not enough to explain what was on it, not even enough to identify who was on it. And the pieces were nowhere to be found.

For a moment I just stood there, unsure of what to do. Then boredom set in and by that time I had decided I would just leave. I was already at the door and I felt just fine.

All ready to leave I touched the door with a hand and pushed at it but I was halted when I heard a foot lightly step down behind me. I didn't turn immediately. All my attention went to my head which immediately began to feel hot. When I did turn I saw only the silhouette of a tall, petite woman standing laxly with one arm at her side.

A step was taken and she drew closer to me. With her step, as before, the heat I felt began to intensify. With each step I grew hotter until the heat became a pain that jolted through me. As she came closer her full figure, though shadowed, became visible. The skinny woman had short, jaggy hair and a large object flung over her shoulder. Though bemused, it soon became obvious to me that this woman was none other than Haruko.

The pain inside me intensified until the point I could not stand. I fell to my knees, holding the sides of my head in throbbing pain. It bolted through me like lightening. Though I should have been screaming, I did not make a sound.

The figure grew closer to me and a final bolt of pain shot through me. My heart skipped a beat and she was in range. The shadowy arm reached out to me and my eyes clammed shut in reaction. I was afraid, too afraid to move and I was at her mercy as a hand lay on my shoulder and she called out me name, "Naota!"

But Haruko has never called me that.

The fear seemed to recede; the pain subsided and my breathing automatically went back to normal. I opened my eyes to see the basement oddly lit with overhead lights. I looked around for Haruko in confusion only to find the bemused face of Ninamori staring down at me with worrisome eyes, her left had resting lightly on my shoulder.

"Naota?" She said again. "What are you doing?" I stared silently for the moment. I wasn't sure what to think, yet alone say, so I chose not to speak at all. What just happened?

In a snap it became apparent to me that I was in a potentially embarrassing situation. I climbed to my feet and dusted what little dust there was off me calmly while trying to think up some clever reason for my appearance.

Ninamori's gaze never shifted. Her eyes stayed locked on me, waiting for answers. I didn't know what to say, so I snapped, "What are you doing down here?" I asked.

"Hey!" She yelled. "I asked you first."

"Why are you following me?"

"You were cutting class." She said.

"Didn't I tell you I wasn't cutting class? Don't you listen?"

"I believed you…until you left that is. You walked the wrong way." She said. "Your class was in the other direction so I wanted to know where you were going."

"Did you ever stop to think that I may have been going to the bathroom?" I asked.

"You passed it." She said with a smile. I knew I was in trouble when she caught me down here but I was able to change the subject and get a smile out of her. That, I knew, was good enough to assume that I was off the hook. "You're lucky that it was just me, Naota." She said. "If it were a teacher you'd be…." Pausing in her speech, she gasped and covered her mouth, pointing at me with a single finger.

"What?" I asked. "Is my nose bleeding again?" I said sarcastically.

"No. Your head."

"My head is bleeding!"

"No." She said again. "There's a little bump." I questioned it at first with a curious shift of my eyebrows, and then I examined it. I put my hand on my forehead and felt the little bump which wasn't as little as it was painful to touch and oddly soft too.

"What did you do?" I shouted.

"Me?" Ninamori squeaked. "You're the one who ran into the door."

"No. You hit me with it." I complained. "Ow!"

"It hurts, huh? Here, let me take a look at it." Ninamori crouched over me and examined my head, careful not to touch it as I instructed. "You should go see the nurse." She said.

"I don't need a nurse." I said. "All I need to do is put some ice on it and I'll be fine.

"Its starting to turn blue."

"Its fine. I'm going on home. I just need to lie down."

"You cant just skip school like that, Naota. Go to the nurse first."

"Why? She'll end up sending me home anyway. So I'll save myself the time and just leave now. Besides, if I have to tell her what happened, I don't want you to get in trouble for hitting me with that door."

"You ran into the door!" Ninamori shouted, and then she sighed and calmed herself. "Fine but I'm coming to check on you in the morning." That was fine with me. I was just glad she left me alone.

I went directly home, escaping the school through the door in the basement. I moved hurriedly as I didn't want anyone to notice my bump. It was just a normal bruise but it was blue and that was weird.

When I walked into the house all the lights were off and it was quiet. I expected to walk in to fine my dad watching a soap but there was no one. I went straight in, ignoring the fact that the door was ajar when I arrived.

First I went to the bathroom, relieved myself and attained a small cotton bandage to cover the bump with after adding some cold water to the inside. Afterwards I checked my room for Mamimi or my dad. No one was home, so down I went to the kitchen.

It was on the stairs before the hall leading to the kitchen I hesitated. Further down I heard whispering, voices I didn't recognize. With caution I proceeded. Getting to the door I peered in with the most stealthy sneak I could muster and there I saw two familiar faces; one of a woman I had only seen before but never met, she had short, golden hair and was dressed properly in a blue suit and stockings. She was looking away as I peeked in.

The other was a man I had spoke with on several occasions in the past. He sat at the kitchen table aside the standing woman exchanging words with her. I immediately recognized his burgundy hair and most notably, his strange eyebrows.

As I stepped out into the doorway to stare, this man too noticed me and his woman turned to face me as well with a strange gaze. "Naota," The man said. "It's been a while."

"What are you doing here?" I asked calmly. I had already passed the point of concern of why he was here or how he'd gotten in. I knew that there was no reason to fear him so those questions were irrelevant. My only concern was _why_ he was here.

"I came to see you, Naota. We need to talk." He said.


	5. Our Lives On Your Head

Chapter V

_Our Lives on Your Head_

At first it was startling, which is to be expected. When an ominous man breaks into your home its only natural to be a little anxious. But for me and with this man, it was a bit more.

The man—Amarao I believe—was in my eyes the bearer of bad news. Every time we'd met in the past he's only have something to say concerning Haruko, which in turn meant something dire was bound to happen.

His presence here undoubtedly meant something awry. But Haruko was gone and so was Medical Mechanica. So why was he here?

"What do you want?" I asked him. I noticed his eyes had locked on to mine as well as those of his partners. Her gaze was nervous and she sweated even though it was cool inside. Not turning her head to look at me, she watched me from the corner of her eye, as if she was trying to avoid my own gaze. I wondered why.

"How's your head, Naota?" He calmly asked; grinning with his hand on his chin and elbow set still on the table.

"It's fine," I responded brusquely. "Not that it's any of your business."

"What's with the bandage then?" He asked.

"I bumped my head at school. That's all it is."

"Why so tense, Naota?" He asked with a glare. We're friends right. What's with the attitude?"

"What are you doing here?" I retorted. "Where is everybody?"

"There's no one here but us, Naota. Sit down. We have to talk."

"About what?"

"About you." He said. "It's all about you. It's always been all about you."

I had no reason to trust this guy; however, I had no reason no to either. My body seemingly against my will began to move its way into the kitchen, to the table and seated itself across from the strange man. He grinned a sinister grin and nodded calmly as I did so.

We sat there for only a moment before Amarao began explain his presence to me. A short silence but an odd one. As I sat there without words my entire body seemed to relax in an instance. It was like my brain literally sighed in relief. I shook my head to comfort myself and in the shaking, I noticed that the woman who stood by the door was now gone. I thought nothing of it though.

"So what do you want?" I asked.

Amarao hesitated to answer, closing his eyes and laughing to himself. "You've groan up a little." He said. I mumbled something sarcastic to myself about his own maturity. I don't know whether or not he heard it. "How's everything at home?" He asked.

"What's that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing." He said. "I was just curious."

"It's fine. Everything is normal."

"Good. What about school?"

"The same." I answered.

"I see. Well, how's your love life been treating you?"

"….Did you come here to interrogate me?" I asked in a snap.

"I just need to make sure everything's okay." He said. "Make sure your head stays in shape."

"My head is just fine."

"If your mental condition drops below a certain level, N-O can be utilized. But you already knew that right?"

"Yeah." I answered. "You told me about that before."

"Yes. I did."

"What? You think something is going to happen?" I asked. "Medical Mechanica is gone. Nothing else is going to come out."

"They might not be here anymore but they certainly aren't gone."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The plant was destroyed yes but that has nothing to do with the real Medical Mechanica. That plant was only here to serve a failed purpose. The building itself wasn't Medical Mechanica you know. The real Medical Mechanica is still out there." The intensity in his voice was obvious making the importance of his words clear. The way he spoke, with such passion for the subject, it intrigued me and I grew curious.

After a break I asked, "So what is this _real _Medical Mechanica that you keep mentioning?"

"They're not of this world. I can tell you that much." He responded as he began to stand "Think of them like mosquitoes or vampires if you prefer. Once you're bitten, your life is drained. Once they're done with you, they get rid of you."

Again, his passion made his peculiar response clear. Even though it wasn't the type of answer you'd expect from an adult, it got the point across. Not that I cared much though. I knew that there was nothing left to worry about. Amarao's fear was nothing besides him being unable to let go.

"That makes sense I suppose." Though it really didn't, I agreed as to not provoke him to go on any longer with this nonsense.

"I'm glad to see you understand. You're acting like a mature adult." He said. I looked ahead to the position he walked to and paused. It was where that woman had been standing just a few moments before. Now she was gone and I wondered to where. "Anyway," Amarao continued. "They're pretty angry having lost track of Atomsk. Now they're looking for him and I have a gut feeling they'll start with you."

"Why me again?" I questioned.

"It was just a coincidence Medical Mechanica built they're plant in the same city Atomsk chose to escape to. You're just a victim of fate." He said.

"Well you're well informed." I said wearily and sarcastically.

"I try to stay on top of things." A response made to avoid my inquiry. I didn't question it though. "At any rate, we've picked up N-O activity from within the city lately. I just came by to check on things."

"And how did you do that?" I asked in a drowsy manner.

"It's all in the technology." He said. "You look tired."

Amarao noticed it as well. A weary feeling fell over me. My body felt drained of its energy and my movements started to become sluggish as we went on for the next few minutes. Soon I developed a mild headache. The small pain didn't bother me but it made me hot, which made me tired. I couldn't say for sure but I knew it had something to do with the bump on my head.

"I'm not feeling well, that's all." I said to the man. "It's just a little headache."

I noticed Amarao look up at the ceiling, "You should take some medicine and rest a bit. We're almost done here anyway. There's just one more thing left. Something I have to give to you."

"What's that?" I curiously asked. In response he set down two small rectangular objects, mixed a green and brown color. A pair of those odd eyebrows he fashioned and had slapped on me once before. "I don't want those!" I remarked.

"It's just a precaution. I don't want anything else coming out of that little head of yours." Turning away from me at the sound of steps, Amarao gave his attention to the woman who now reentered our presence from the upstairs where she apparently fled to holding in her arms a blue guitar. "Is that the one?" Amarao asked of her. The woman responded with a nod, keeping her eyes firmly locked on the item.

"Why….are you taking that?" I asked with a yawn.

"Kitsurubami thinks its best of this isn't left in your possession and I agree. I actually don't know why I didn't think of that." With a shrug he turned to the woman again ordered their retreat, making his final comment that he would be in touch and then they were gone.

/\

After that I fell asleep right there on the kitchen table. With those eyebrows in my hand as I rested I got to thinking.

Two things bothered me about what just happened: the most important being that Amarao was so well informed about thinks. It seemed strange that he knew so much. Either that or it was all just an overdramatic hypothesis. But seeing as how I knew little to nothing about what actually went on, I had no choice but to believe what he had told me.

Aside from that I was troubled by the fact that I was just robbed. For whatever reason, the guitar Haruko left behind was confiscated. Why was it a good idea to do so? I had no answers. I decoded to put it aside for the moment and just rest.

/\

When I awoke it was late and dark out and for the first time in a long while I realized that I had awaken without any pain or outside party provoking it. I almost laughed to myself with the thought.

I stood to go to the cupboards to fetch a snack before I went upstairs to lay down for my night's rest. As soon as I stood though the front door came bursting open and Mamimi rushed in carrying a large pizza box with a big smile on her face. But for whatever reason, the smile faded when she saw me. She suddenly looked puzzled and slightly appalled.

"Ta-Kun," She said. "What's wrong with your face?"


	6. If Push Somes To Shove

Chapter VI

_If Push Comes to Shove_

The statement confused me at first. I rubbed my eyes to help clear my dry-eyed vision and think. To mind, the only thing I could think to be wrong would be the bruise on my forehead, which I had covered with a bandage. A bandage couldn't appall someone. So what could it be? "What?" I asked.

Mamimi gazed at me strangely before answering, holding the box to a slant so the pizza dangled out, "What are those plastic things on your face?" She asked. My hands immediately found themselves cupped over my eyebrows when I realized what she was referring to, though I had no idea how they got there.

I don't know how but the pair of fake 'brows that Amarao left behind for me were now fixed over my real ones. I commented with a silent swear as I futilely tugged on one of them slightly.

"And what's with the band-aid?"

"I hit my head at school." I answered giving up my struggle. "Where have you been?" I asked.

"Why are you wearing those things?" I wondered, was she avoiding my question, or was she that preoccupied by my eyebrows?

"For medical and safety purposes." I said since I had no real actual explanation. "Just leave it at that."

"Riight," She responded in a very sarcastic manner as she moved closer. "They look silly," She said as she eyed them. "You should take them off."

"I can't." I said which wasn't completely a lie. I couldn't seem to get them off, even if I wanted to. Besides that I wanted to make an excuse out of them to get me out of school for the following day. I could so easily skip but I needed the excuse to keep Mamimi off my case and if I stayed home, I'd have more time to spend with Mamimi.

"So you'll go to school like that then?"

"No. I can't go back until I get them taken off and I don't know when that'll be."

"You can't just skip school like that!" She snapped, throwing her arms back and inadvertently tossing the pizza from its box.

"You used to skip all the time. I don't see what the big deal is." I said and got a very hard glare in returned. A slightly chilling one.

"Ta-Kuuun!" She lazily snarled.

"What?"

She paused for a moment and took a deep breath to calm down before speaking, "What'll it take for you to take those things off."

Besides solution or a jackhammer to break them off there was nothing I could do to get these things off.

On the other hand, if I were willingly able to remove them, there was plenty Mamimi could offer but nothing I could possibly have or ask for without expecting a hard slap in return.

Either way, I was never able to answer. Before I could Mamimi moved in close to me. I paused in shocked confusion as she leaned in and planted a short, supple kiss on me. Her lips were as soft as cotton and as sweet as candy.

My mind was unable to grasp the situation and it seemed as if I had blanked out because before I knew it, the kiss was over and Mamimi was walking away from me. Without a single extra word, she vanished upstairs while I stood there and melted in temptation, confused.

I wondered whether I should have followed her or if it was best that I just stood there like I did. Inside my once blank mind I suddenly found thoughts and questions swarming. Questions about what had just happened and assumptions to answer them. Like—perhaps—Mamimi did like me after all.

Be that the case or not it seemed strange. Very strange, even for her. Come to think of it, that whole entire day was odd. Strangest of all was the way it ended. Just before I decided to go upstairs, me dad came in, stumbling and speaking gibberish. I don't know where he had come from but upon his return home he found himself on the floor after he slipped on the pizza Mamimi had dropped earlier. He landed face first in sauce and had cheese all over himself but he never moved. I suppose he found it a fine place to sleep for the night.

I took my time on the way up as I was still unsure of what to make of that kiss and I still had nothing to say in return. Fortunately, Mamimi was sound asleep when I arrived or faking it very well with the snore. I decided that it was best not to wake her. I was tired and everyone else in the house was asleep. I needed to figure out how to get these damn 'brows off my face and what I was going to say to Mamimi tomorrow. Besides that, Ninamori would definitely be over in the morning so I really needed the rest.

I went to sleep grunting, hoping that tomorrow would be more promising than today.

/\

My day was strenuous. I was glad that it was finally over and I could finally relax. Now was the time when I could put everything behind me and escape to my dream world. There was once a time when I felt that my dreams truly were an escape from reality, back when they were pleasant. Now, I usually find myself drawn into a more unpleasant place. Somewhere I'd rather now be.

Tonight was no different, even though the scene was different. It wasn't blank like before. This time I knew where I was. I remembered it.

From the moment I closed my eyes I saw Mamimi and I saw her smiling, happily cuddled with my brother, Tasuku. I saw myself sitting by, watching with an envious heart. I remember that day.

This dream showed me the day before Tasuku left for America, the same day he made me promise to take care of Mamimi. The day after, I asked him why he wanted me to do it. He never answered; he only asked me a question in return. He asked me if I would do him that favor and then he was gone.

A moment later my mind took me to a chaotic day. The day the giant hand came. I was brought to the day when I confessed my feelings to Mamimi, only to be crushed in return. Then the dream faded and took me to an unfamiliar scene.

This time the scene wasn't based on a memory. This time I saw only myself, surrounded by a pile of rubble. In the background I could hear frantic screams and see ravaged buildings, fires and a dark cloud of smoke filling the sky. On top of that pile I stood, looking over it all with a stern face, holding Haruko's guitar in my arms.

Before I knew it the dream was over and I thought to myself for a moment how weird it was. The moment was short as I was awakened by the smell of rubber, strong and annoying. The rubber from a pencil eraser that somehow became jammed in my nose.

Opening my eyes and looking I wasn't at all surprised to see the culprit. Ninamori, dressed properly in her school uniform and here in my house and six-thirty in the morning, two hours before school even starts.

"Just when I think I'm safe," I said with a yawn and stretch as I sat up. "You find a new way to disturb my sleep."

She giggled a little and said, "Well, I couldn't hit you with a book this time so I thought I'd try something new."

"But why so early?" I asked. I rubbed my eyes to clear my dry-eyed vision, and then I stopped and looked at Ninamori. It was somewhat pleasing to look at her in her uniform. It actually doesn't look as bad as I sometimes say it does. I noticed too how she looked at me, smiling strangely. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." She said, giggling more. "I just came over early to see how you were doing so I could make it to school on time."

"Well I'm doing just fine."

"What did the nurse say yesterday?"

"Oh. She said I'll need to stay in bed until the bump goes down."

"I see. So I'm guessing those things on your face have something to do with your little bump?" I put my hand on my face and felt around until I found the eyebrows. Realizing I still had them on I slapped my hands over them while Ninamori sat back laughing.

"Oh yeah." I said. "These are a new kind of strip. Medicated. To help with the bruise." I admit that I wasn't too good a liar so I tried to ignore Ninamori's continuous giggle by looking up on the top bunk to see if Mamimi was still asleep but she wasn't there.

"What is it?" Ninamori asked.

"Nothing. Did you see Mamimi when you came in?"

She shook her head, no. "Did you want her for something?"

"Not really," I answered hesitantly. "Just to talk to about something that happened yesterday," even though I still hadn't figured out exactly what to say.

"Oh. What happened?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." I said. "It's not that important."

"Then you can tell me, right?"

"No. Forget I said anything."

"Tell me." She insisted.

"No."

"Come on, Naota. Tell me."

"No! Don't you have to be getting to school?"

"Not for another hour or so." She responded. "I've got time."

I sighed a stressful sigh and got out of bed finally, walked past her in my shorts and out the door toward the stairs. She avidly followed.

I noticed the muddle left behind as my father made his way from where he fell, over to the couch in the living room. I ignored the mess, going straight to the kitchen to fix a glass of orange juice to drink. I tried ignoring the girl following me as well but her peskiness annoyed me and eventually got to me.

"So, you gonna tell me?" She asked as I drank.

"There's nothing to tell."

"Did she do something to you?"

"No." I answered.

"Ah hah. I knew it. What's she do?"

"Would you just drop it already?"

"Not until you tell me what happened," she said teasingly as she grabbed my arm. "I won't leave until you tell me."

"Okay, fine." I said eventually. And here I learned my first lesson: Sometimes it's better to just keep your mouth shut.

I told Ninamori everything that happened after Amarao left, everything that went on. From the time I woke up to the time my dad fell in the pizza. I didn't think it would, or at least not as much, but it seemed to bother Ninamori. She seemed glum somehow.

"I see," She said timidly. "Well, she probably likes you is all." Then she turned her back to me. "Do you like her?"

Here I learned my second lesson: To a question like that, you shouldn't just shrug and explain your uncertainty like I did. For that I didn't even get a goodbye when Ninamori left. She just told me she needed to go and was gone, not even retrieving her books from my room. That was the last I saw of her.


	7. Reopen The Field

Sorry about the slight delay folks but the next chapter is in. Luckily I'm putting this one on the same day that I finished typing the next two that follow so the next lil' wait should be worth it. I hope it doesn't take long but I don't like to rush a genius. Thx again to 'QS' and skip the disclaimers, just go read!  
  
========================================================= Ninamori dashed out on me and I was left standing, trying my best to remove the foot that somehow got jammed in my mouth. Again, I was at a loss of words and much worse, my mind fell into a blank as well. I didn't even know what to think at the moment.  
  
In a situation like this, it's human nature to desire to fix things. Your conscience will eat at you until you do, but my first instinct told me to leave it alone for now. I could have just followed her to school and confronted her there but I didn't. Maybe that was a mistake. Perhaps I should have gone in today to talk to her, or grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving in the first place instead of just standing there like an idiot. Around that time I decided, I would go into school tomorrow. Mamimi can wait.  
  
/_\  
  
The next morning I was up bright and early for school, washed, dressed and done with breakfast by seven-thirty. I even sprayed on a little cologne to impress her, not to mention the fact that I was wearing my school uniform. I felt good and confident for once. I had all my lines down, every line I would say. I would start off with something smooth like "Hi, how are you today?" Then compliment her a little, then a joke, and then I would get down to business. Everything was good except for the eyebrows. Unfortunately, I had to wear a cap and pull it down tight to cover them up. The teachers would make me take it off but I had no intentions of going into any classes so that shouldn't be a problem. I'd just find Ninamori and be gone.  
  
I got to school around eight, a half hour before class started and I sat on the main stairway leading into the building while I waited for Ninamori to arrive. That half-hour turned into an hour, that hour turned into two, and that two turned into too long a time for anyone to just be sitting around on some steps. By the time I decided to leave, it was already lunch and I was hungry but still concerned about Ninamori. She hadn't come into school today. Maybe I should check her house?  
  
Ninamori's house, destination two. A large, half block-wide mansion with a front and back lawn, a pool in the back, and both complete with separate gardens. The entire complex is enclosed by a vine-shrouded wall. At the entrance there's a gold colored gate that leads to a long walkway to the main building, but first you must check in at the gate over a radio system.  
  
"Hello? H-Hello?" I put my ear up to the receiver and listened to the static for a moment, waiting for a response. "Hello!"  
  
"Stop it!" someone screamed back. "Who the hell are you yelling in the mike like that?"  
  
"Um, my name is Naota. I'm a friend of Ninamori's."  
  
"What? She's in school. What are you doing here?"  
  
She is? That's funny; I sat outside the school for hours waiting for her but didn't see her at all. The only way I could have missed her was if she went in through the back, but she never does that...unless she was intentionally avoiding me. I didn't bother asking about it. I just walked home while the lady continued to scream through the speaker.  
  
"I'll just try back tomorrow," I said to myself.  
  
Tomorrow came faster than I thought it would and I did just like I had done the day before: got up early, washed up fast, and put on the clothes I'd lain out from the night before, this time, no uniform. I ate quickly and I was out the house by seven. This time I went to Ninamori's house first instead of school, hoping I could catch her before she left but got the same thing as before. "She already left for school." So off I went to school.  
  
I got to the school just a few minutes before eight, early enough to see the first few kids arrive. I sat outside for the next half hour waiting for Ninamori, who never showed up, or so I thought. I began to worry, so I went inside. I thought that maybe I could find one of her classmates and ask them if she'd come in, but I didn't need to. As soon as I walked through the front door, there she was, standing and chatting with some other girls. Unlike usual, she wasn't wearing her uniform. She had on this thin, white and pink spotted dress that went down to about her knees, her hair flowed down loose and neat, and her eyes were without glasses. I approached her but didn't even get the chance to speak; at first glance of me, she grunted and took off into the nearest classroom. I don't even think it was her class.  
  
It was pretty much obvious that she was pissed with me but I was a determined little jerk. I waited outside the class, by her locker until she came out just a few minutes after the late bell rang. It was just the two of us in the hall and a long, long silence.  
  
Remember your lines now. "Um, hi...Ninamori. How are you?"  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Um, that's a nice dress. It really compliments your...your face." Was that the joke part? I wondered.  
  
"Stop being stupid and go away," she said in an aggravated voice and began to walk off. This time I didn't make the same mistake as before, I stopped her by grabbing her arm. "Let go."  
  
"Where were you yesterday?" I asked. "I didn't see you in school."  
  
"None of your business."  
  
"I went to your house and they said you were here, but you weren't."  
  
"I skipped," she said hesitantly.  
  
That surprised me. "Miss perfect attendance skipped school?" I said sarcastically. "Welcome to the bad side. It's a pleasure having you here." I let go of her arm and did a little bow to go along with my comment which incidentally got a little giggle out of her and a smile. "So, will ya talk to me now?"  
  
"No," she answered sternly. That almost blew my heart out of my ribs. I could have sworn that I had her and I was all ready to start yelling before she continued. "I can't right now. I've got to get to class."  
  
"Later, then?" I asked. "After school?"  
  
"No," she said again. "But I'll come over later. And do me a favor, lose the hat." With that said, Ninamori was off to her classes and I was off to go home and wait.  
  
/_\  
  
On the way back home I was confronted by a very familiar scene. As I crossed the bridge over the river, I spotted Mamimi sitting down by the water, her usual spot, holding my baseball bat. I wasn't concerned with the bat, however; I was more worried about the confrontation. It didn't take long for Mamimi to spot me as well. She didn't say anything, just stared nervously. I knew that I should go down there and do what I forgot to do but now that I thought of it again, I realized that I still didn't know what to say. Too late to turn back though. I was already down there. I'll just have to improvise.  
  
"Um, hi...Mamimi."  
  
"Heya Ta-Kun," she said confidently. "What's up?"  
  
I moved over to where she was and sat down next to her. "Just wondering some stuff," I said.  
  
She tilted her head and gave me this confused look. "Like what?"  
  
"I don't know. Like, where've you been lately?"  
  
"I've been around," she said. "Been hanging out here a while."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I always used to hang out here, right?" she said hesitantly. "I wouldn't be me if I didn't still do the same stuff right?"  
  
"Right, I guess. But you never kissed me before." I guess that's as good a way as any to bring up the subject.  
  
"Oh," she said. "I see you still have on those eyebrow thingies."  
  
I took off the cap and set it down, showing them. "So?"  
  
"Why don't you take them off?"  
  
"I already told you and besides, the stupid things won't come off."  
  
"Really?"  
  
I nodded. "Yes."  
  
"I bet I can get 'em off," she said. She reached over and grabbed it and then immediately pulled her hand away and shook it like she just got burned by something.  
  
"What's wrong with your hand?" I asked.  
  
"Nothing, nothing. I just cracked my knuckles too hard earlier, that's all. It still hurts a bit." She stood up and began to walk off behind me. I stood up as well.  
  
"Where you going?"  
  
"I'm going back to the house to get some ice. I'll see you later."  
  
"You gonna tell me why you kissed me later too?" She stopped walking and looked down at the ground. "Well?"  
  
She paused for a moment and then glanced back at me with a little smirk on her face. "I owed you one."  
  
"You...owed me one?" She didn't answer that either, she just continued off. "She owed me one?" I asked myself. That didn't make any sense at all but I couldn't worry about that now. I had other fish to fry.  
  
/_\  
  
A few more hours passed before I went home. I spent that time just sitting down under the bridge thinking about what Mamimi had said. It made no sense, and the way she had said it made it even more confusing. It wasn't in a low, depressed tone like when you're returning a favor that you really don't want to; it was calmer than that. Like she wanted to do it. And of course I had more questions about it, but Mamimi wasn't even around when I got back, which was probably good since Ninamori was coming over.  
  
After getting in and fixing myself some curry to eat, I waited nervously for Ninamori to arrive. I waited and I waited and I waited some more until nine o'clock hit and I realized that she wasn't coming. Now, not only was I a jerk but I felt like a fool too. She was obviously still upset and just played it off like she wasn't. That's what I figured so I just went off to bed. As with most of the math I do on my D-rated homework, I was wrong.  
  
It wasn't until about ten o'clock did Ninamori actually come but I was dead asleep by then and as usual, I was in for a rude awakening. This time however, it wasn't done in fun.  
  
The book, my largest book, the one-thousand plus page history book came crashing down full speed on my face. The impact was so hard that it actually cracked one of the eyebrows and completely shattered the other off my face. I opened my eyes just in time to see Ninamori disappear out of my bedroom door. When I tried to stand and run after her, I became conscious of the arm that was wrapped around my waist and holding me tight. It was Mamimi's, and there she was sleeping peacefully beside me with her thumb in her mouth. All the shaking and pushing in the world couldn't get her off of me or apparently, wake her up. When I finally got free I was just in time to hear the door downstairs slam.  
  
Turning back to Mamimi, she hadn't moved a muscle. It's kind of hard to believe that anyone could possibly sleep that hard. Even when I shook her more, she didn't wake. What the hell was she doing in my bed anyway? And why wasn't she up in the top bunk? That was my first question and upon further investigation, I discovered a rather large wet spot on the top bunk mattress.  
  
"She wets the bed?" I said disgustedly. She'd better not. She was in my bed now but I had to make sure.  
  
I went back down to the bottom bunk and got into the bed, made myself comfortable and waited a few minutes while I felt around on the sheets with my feet. I waited a few more minutes before I checked again. This time I lifted the cover up and went under actually look. There was nothing there. With that out of mind, I could now spent the rest of the night staring up at the underside of the top bunk, thinking about Ninamori. I saw another restless night in my future but again, I didn't get what I expected I would.  
  
When I returned to my pillow from under the covers, I was greeted by a blank stare and an expression of confusion from Mamimi. With no words at the moment, I stared back at her in the same manner. For the next few minutes, we stared at each other like this in silence. After a while, Mamimi smiled at me and put her arm around me again while I continued to stare, more confused than ever.  
  
"You know, I really missed you, Ta-Kun."  
  
"You missed me?"  
  
"Yeah....." She used the grip she had from the arm she had around me to pull herself closer, so close that our noses touched and our lips met softly again when she kissed me.  
  
I was completely thrown by this and with nothing real to say, I tried to use sarcasm to help me out. "Let me guess, you owe me?" I said.  
  
"No," she said with a smile and rolled around to get on top of me  
  
I got a little nervous. "Oh...what then?"  
  
"Just think of it as a going away present."  
  
"I think you've got it confused," I said. "I'm not going anywhere."  
  
"Okay, think of it as a kiss goodbye with a plus then." For what happened next, it was something I knew about but had no experience with. I had no idea where I should be, how to start, or what to do once I got started. Luckily, it wasn't that big a problem. Once all the kissing was done, I barely had to do anything. The first time anyway. This turned out to be the best night of my life, and to the person who said that the first time is always the best, I'll be the first to disagree. The second time was definitely better.  
  
/_\  
  
The rest of my night was smooth and I slept as soft as a baby in its mother's arms. The night was perfect; it was the day that was all wrong.  
  
I was prompted to awake by a bunch of little pieces of plastic all being thrown into my face. My first thought was Ninamori, she's always throwing stuff, but I doubted she'd be over this morning. My next guess was Mamimi, who was no longer beside me, but why would she throw stuff? My final guess would be Kamon, but it wasn't him either. Before I even saw the face I knew who it was by the brown plastic that he called eyebrows.  
  
"Amarao?"  
  
"Have a nice night, Naota?" I nodded in response and smiled happily. "Glad to see you're in such a cheerful mood." He said curtly.  
  
"What's your attitude about?" I asked. In response, I got more pieces of eyebrow thrown at me. It had completely slipped my mind that they were broken last night. One of them anyway. The other was just cracked.  
  
"What the hell did you do?" he asked.  
  
"It wasn't my fault!" I yelled back. "Stupid people keep throwing stuff at me and broke it. Just give me another one to put on."  
  
"It's too late for that, Naota." He said as he stood and moved over to my window. He then pulled the shades up and stepped aside, letting me see what was outside. Ignoring all the screams and crashing sounds that were going on outside, I focused my attention on the giant figure in the distance.  
  
"Is that...Canti?" ~ 


	8. A Piece Of Amarao

Okay, I'm just about finished. I'm gonna be putting up two chapters this time, this one and the one to follow. I've already finished the next chapter (a third one, not one of the two I'm posting today) and if I'm lucky I'll get it by Friday, Monday at the latest. (I hope) I appreciate all the review's I've been getting and all the help I've gotten from QS so far (Really, Thanks! ^__^;). Skip the disclaimers...enjoy!  
  
=========================================================  
  
"Well, Naota. Is there something that you'd like to tell me?"  
  
"No."  
  
"This is obviously the work of MM," Amarao said. I sat up in the bed and looked at him. "And it could only have come here through the N-O field. Through your head."  
  
"So you just immediately put the blame on me," I said calmly.  
  
"They used you for a reason last time Naota. I have no reason to believe that this isn't the case again."  
  
"I'm telling you, it wasn't me."  
  
"Oh, really?"  
  
"Yes, really."  
  
Amarao paced back and forth momentarily with his hand on his chin, each time turning his head to make sure he still had his eyes locked on the creature outside. "So it's just a coincidence that this thing appears around the same time that you broke the eyebrows, huh?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
"You guess. You know what this means don't you? Mabase is doomed and it's your fault."  
  
"Did you come all the way over here just to bitch at me?" I asked as I stood from the bed. Once I stood and the covers fell off of me, it became dreadfully apparent to me, thanks to the way Amarao's face twisted, that I didn't have any clothes on. Immediately, I made a dash for the closet and hid behind the safety of its door to dress.  
  
"What were you doing last night?" Amarao asked.  
  
"None of your business," I answered. "So what are we going to do about that thing?"  
  
"I don't know," he said. I stepped out of the closet, dressed in a light blue-hooded sweater and a pair of brown shorts and socks. I noticed that he was looking out the window again. "The thing is just standing there. It's not doing anything."  
  
"Huh?" I went over to the window to look and just like he said it wasn't doing anything—just standing there, over by the pile of rubble that used to be the Iron Fist. "When did it get here?" I asked.  
  
"You would know," he said. "It came out of your head."  
  
"I already told you that it wasn't me!"  
  
"Yeah, right."  
  
"Okay. Let me ask you this then," I said. "When did you first notice that thing?"  
  
"What's that got to do with anything?"  
  
"I'm gonna prove to you that it didn't come out of my head. So just answer."  
  
"Okay fine. I guess it was, uh...about four this morning when we spotted it." He crossed his arms and looked at me.  
  
"Okay. At four this morning, two hours ago, I was in my bed, asleep. If that huge thing came out of my head, while I was here in my room, wouldn't my room be destroyed and wouldn't there be a huge hole in my wall and giant footsteps leading from here over to where the thing is now?" After that, I just sat back and smirked, watching Amarao's cocky expression melt into a glare. That really shut him up.  
  
A long silence fell over us. Amarao glared with a twitching eyebrow at me while I peered past him and out the window at the giant figure in the background.  
  
Canti. I remember him well. He was the first of the many things that would eventually come out of my head, his arrival the most painful of the bunch. Unlike everything else that came around, Canti didn't seem to come to senselessly destroy, and at first he didn't seem to have a purpose at all. However, soon it became clear that he was needed to fight the other creatures that came through the N-O field, and I was his unwilling aid in it. Canti would come and absorb me; he was using that power, Atomsk's power that was inside of me, and while I was inside of him, I just watched it all. I could see everything that was happening. I saw it through Canti's eyes, as if I was Canti himself, but I had no control over anything and when it ended, I wouldn't remember a thing. But all those memories came back to me that day—the day when I broke out and Atomsk took over.  
  
Seeing Canti, this Canti, now made me wonder if it was in fact here to destroy. I noticed that it wasn't moving at all and was facing in this direction, as if it were looking at me. Was it waiting for me?  
  
"So, now what?" I asked. Amarao looked up at me and shrugged.  
  
"If it really wasn't you this thing came from," he said, "then who?"  
  
"I don't know," I said shrugging.  
  
Amarao began to pace the room and scratch his head. "Let me think," he said. "There have only been three known accounts of N-O activity in Mabase." Amarao continued to pace the room, making no eye contact with me at all, just looking down and holding his chin. "If I subtract you from the suspects," He said pointing. "Then that leaves..."  
  
"Who?" I said anxiously.  
  
"Somebody," he said.  
  
"Somebody?" I said sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, it's definitely somebody." He continued to pace the room but at a slower rate as he tried to think harder, I could tell by the vein that was popping out on his forehead.  
  
"Does this person have a name?" I asked.  
  
"Of course she does!" Amarao snapped. "I just can't remember it."  
  
She? "Well what's she look like? Maybe I know her."  
  
"Uh, let me think." I let him think for about five minutes before he finally came up with a description. "She's a girl..." I couldn't help but fall at that. "She's about your height, I think; she goes to your school too."  
  
"A classmate?"  
  
"Yeah but after the incident she was just fine, always happy and smiling; not a care in the world. If it's the same person, something bad must have happened."  
  
"Something bad?"  
  
"The N-O field will only work properly on people whose mental health status is at a low level, like a person who suffers from chronic depression. Whoever this person is, something must have just recently happened that would screw up their head."  
  
A classmate with mental problems; that just about covers everybody in the school. Trying to narrow it down to a female classmate doesn't help either. I didn't know any too well outside of Roka and Tatami, some of Ninamori's friends, and Ninamori herself—and that's when it hit me.  
  
I remember that time. Ninamori was having problems at home with her parents and she took her anger out on me, making me dress up like an idiot for the play. She showed up at my house with her problems and all I did was yell at her. She left and the next time I saw her, Canti and I were saving her butt from the machine, one that came from her head. Thinking about it now, how I always yell and scream at Ninamori and give her the cold shoulder, not to mention what just recently happened, she'd be the perfect target for the N- O field considering mine was blocked.  
  
"That Ninamori girl!" blurted Amarao. "The mayor's daughter. That's her name right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, then it must have been her."  
  
"I guess so," I said gloomily.  
  
Amarao looked at me and twitched his eyebrow a little. "What's wrong with you?" he said. "For once you're not disagreeing with me."  
  
"No, I just remember. That's all." Amarao said nothing. "So now what? We know who it is but what difference does that make? It won't make that thing go away just because we know where it came from."  
  
"No, but we can prevent anything else from coming through."  
  
"What?" I asked. "Those eyebrow things? She'll never wear those."  
  
"She'll have to, it's the only way." After that, Amarao turned around and headed out my bedroom door and down toward the stairs. I hesitated but followed.  
  
"Okay, but I have one question." Amarao stopped and looked up at me. "Why can't I get this other brow off of me?" I said as I began to futilely pull at it.  
  
"They don't come off," he said.  
  
"They did before."  
  
"Yeah, but before I didn't put super glue on the underside."  
  
/_\  
  
Now I was riding shotgun to Amarao in a small American vehicle. He called it a Benz, I believe. It was pretty fast and rode smoothly, even on the bumpy parts of the road. At this rate we'd be at Ninamori's in no time, but I had something to ask before we got there.  
  
"Hey, Amarao," I said laying back calmly in my seat.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"About what you said before."  
  
"What did I say?"  
  
"When you were mumbling about how many people have had N-O fields in Mabase."  
  
"Okay, what about it?" Amarao continued driving, never once glancing over at me.  
  
"You mentioned that there was a third person besides Ninamori and me..."  
  
"No, I didn't," he said quickly.  
  
"Yeah. Well, not in detail, but you did say that there were three. Who was the third?" Amarao slowed the car a little and looked down in his seat nervously. "That was over twenty years ago, Naota. I doubt it's anyone you'd know."  
  
"I think I know who it is," I said. "I just want to hear you say it." Amarao immediately slammed the breaks and looked at me.  
  
"How'd you find out? Who told you?" He said grabbing my shirt.  
  
"Actually I didn't know, but I do now," he raised an eyebrow at me. "Well, you got all worked up for nothing. It's like you're trying to cover it up." He let me go and moved back over to his seat.  
  
"It was about twenty years ago," He said. "And I was younger then than you are now."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Something similar to what happened to you. I got this horn one day and then this strange girl showed up at school, always staring at me. I though it was just because I always had ugly hats on in school, trying to hide the horn but that wasn't it. She showed up at my house one day and started cooking me dinner; she tried to seduce me and she was real interested in the horn once she saw it."  
  
"Who was she?" I asked.  
  
"I don't know. I never got her name or even found out where she came from. After the horn went away, she left."  
  
"It went away? Nothing came out?"  
  
"Oh yeah, something came out, but nothing like what came from you."  
  
"What came out?" He didn't answer that question; he was too busy looking around.  
  
"Where did it go?" he said nervously.  
  
"Where'd what go?"  
  
"That thing." He pointed up toward the hill where the giant Canti had been but was no longer. We both began to look frantically all around us but neither of us found a thing, and without a word, Amarao restarted the car and continued on at full speed toward the mayor's place.  
  
/_\  
  
Once we got there, our confidence that we came to the right place was reinforced by the huge hole in the left side of the mansion and the path of destruction that lead away and toward the hill from there. Besides that face, we knew something was wrong when we saw the police line around the house and the press trying to storm the front gate but being held back by cops.  
  
Amarao climbed assertively out of the car and stared into the crowd before he began his march toward the building. I rushed nervously out of the car and ran around to catch up with him.  
  
"We're going inside," he said to me as I got to his side.  
  
"How? The police aren't letting anyone in," I said back.  
  
"I'll handle that."  
  
We continued to approach and as we got to the crowd, we were spotted. The people began to immediately make a path for us to walk through, not saying a word. While I walked through behind Amarao, I looked around, nervous and confused. It didn't make sense but in a way it didn't need to.  
  
When we got to the front, Amarao took a badge from his pocket and flashed it at the police. They grinned and stepped aside, letting us through but staring at me as I passed the line.  
  
From there we ran, in a huge rush to find Ninamori. I didn't know which way to go in that huge place but Amarao seemed to know his way around pretty well. He led the way straight to where the mayor and Ninamori were.  
  
"Amarao, you're here," the mayor said as we approached. "Who's the little guy?"  
  
"My help," Amarao said. "Where is she?" The mayor then directed us over to a large bed draped by white curtains. On it was Ninamori, out cold.  
  
"How long has she been like that?" I asked.  
  
"All morning," the mayor answered. Then he turned his attention back to Amarao. "What's wrong with her?"  
  
"Her body is probably weak after what happened." Amarao leaned over her and stuck a pair of the eyebrows on her face. "I need you to do me a favor."  
  
"What's that?" the mayor said.  
  
"Go make a call to my agency. Tell Kitsurubami to get over here."  
  
"Can't your little guy do it?"  
  
"No. I need him for something." The mayor nodded and hesitantly walked out the door into the hallway crowded with police. Amarao then turned to look at me and called me over to the bed.  
  
I looked down at Ninamori who lay sleeping peacefully under the covers; in my mind I knew that this was my fault, but I also knew that I couldn't say that, especially to Amarao.  
  
Amarao leaned over Ninamori and began to shake her fretfully but to no avail—she didn't stir in the slightest way. "Okay," he then said. "Wake her up."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yes, you."  
  
"If all that shaking won't wake her, what can I do?"  
  
"Just think," he said. Just think. What did that mean? I don't know, but I did exactly what he told me to do: I stopped and took a moment to think. How do you wake a sleeping girl?  
  
The first thing I came up with was to do exactly as a prince did in a fairy tale I once heard. All I had to do was lean in and kiss and she should wake. I didn't want to try that and luckily, I came up with a better option before Amarao bothered me again.  
  
"What are you doing?" Amarao asked as I walked over to a shelf filled with books, picking one up.  
  
"I'm gonna try something," I said. I walked back over to the bed and held up the book I picked up—"How Stuff Works"—over her head.  
  
"What are you doing?" Amarao yelled again as he grabbed me by my wrists. "I said wake her, not hurt her." As he reached to take the book from me I released it and let it drop on her face. She immediately popped up.  
  
/_\  
  
"Ow!" she said in a whiney voice as she began to cry. "What'd you do that for?" She didn't even look when she said that. I don't even think she knew it was me until she looked. "Naota?"  
  
I smiled faintly and waved at her. "Hi..." Without a word she jumped up in the bed and threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck tightly. I instinctively caught her and put my arms around her, but I was very confused. I looked at Amarao and he just smiled back at me.  
  
It was pretty quiet for a moment but that only lasted until we heard a loud crash and the ground began to shake as if something huge was walking around. We knew what it was.  
  
Amarao and I looked at each other but didn't say anything. I guess we were both in shock because we didn't know what to do. I know that was the case with me anyway. Neither of us even moved while the shaking continued, at least until we heard someone speak.  
  
"It'll be here in a minute," she said. Amarao and I both turned to see Kitsurubami standing and staring out of the window in the direction the crashing was coming from. I also noticed that she again had Haruko's bass guitar slung comfortably over her shoulder.  
  
"When did she get here?" I mumbled to myself.  
  
I think she heard me mumbling because she turned straight around and looked directly at me. "It's time we go to work." ~ 


	9. Kitsurubami's Secret

Not much to say on this one. Thx to QS again *bows to her* and thanks to the readers. Enjoy!  
  
=========================================================  
  
Amarao and I exchanged gazes of confusion as Kitsurubami began to toddle from her spot by the window over to where we were.  
  
"How'd you get here so fast?" Amarao asked.  
  
"I've been here for a while," she said in response as she stopped by me. Ninamori loosened her grip on me and looked up at Kitsurubami. "Yup. I knew you'd come here."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Amarao asked. Another quake shook the room, this time more intense and the crash louder. Kitsurubami looked over to the window again then down at me.  
  
"No time for small talk," she said. She leaned down and grabbed the back of Ninamori's shirt and lifted her up out of my arms, turned to the side, and dropped her into Amarao's arms.  
  
"What are you doing?" I asked in a confused tone. I was also a little shocked; I wasn't aware that Kitsurubami was strong enough to pick up Ninamori like that.  
  
Kitsurubami smiled at me then and leaned over to pick me up by my shirt, pulling me up from my kneeling position until my feet left the floor. I just looked on in a stunned way when Kitsurubami pulled her arm back and tossed me across the room.  
  
"What the hell?" Amarao laid Ninamori back down on the bed and stood, taking steps toward Kitsurubami. No sooner did she realize that Amarao was approaching her than she pulled the bass guitar back like a bat and took a swing at Amarao, connecting hard and sending him flying back.  
  
At this time I was more confused than worried about what Kitsurubami was doing. I stood to my feet just in time for her to turn around and notice me. When she started toward me my whole body flinched in fear. I wanted to make a run for it but I had nowhere to go. In no time she was face to face with me again.  
  
"What are you doing?" I said calmly even though I was nervous and trembling.  
  
She smiled evilly at me but said nothing. She just pulled the guitar back again and swung, hitting me flat across the forehead. It wasn't as hard a hit as she gave to Amarao but it was enough to send me stumbling back into the nearest wall.  
  
I immediately began to throb in pain but not as much from the guitar hit as from the headache I had just acquired. A bolt of pain ran through my head and didn't stop. My head and my eyes began to feel hot, so hot that my vision began to blur, but I could still see Kitsurubami approach me. I slid down the wall and sat in pain while Kitsurubami stood over me looking down and smiling a familiar grin. She then kneeled down in front of me and touched my forehead, sliding her hand across it and then ripping off the bandage I had gotten from school.  
  
My head began to feel hotter and then for some reason Kitsurubami's face began to light up; it was like a light was coming from my face and shining on hers. Whatever it was she was enjoying it, I could tell by the big smile that she got then, and she wanted it. I saw her pull her arm back and clench her fingers like a claw, then she reached towards me.  
  
/_\  
  
Another sharp pain ran through my head so intense that my eyes popped open and felt like they'd fly out of my head. My whole body went limp from this paralyzing pain and my vision went wild where I was unable to focus on one thing. When I was finally able to see straight, I saw Kitsurubami, still lit with that red light and her arm stretched straight out at and into my head.  
  
More than anything else now I was scared. With every twitch and twist that Kitsurubami made, another bolt of pain ran through my body and I couldn't move to do anything about it; the way that she was moving, it was as if she were looking for something—but inside of my head?  
  
"Ah hah," she finally said as she stood but with her arm still in my head. "I got it!" She then stuck her other arm in and began to pull, tugging my head forward with every draw. Whatever she had a grip on wasn't coming out easily so she pulled up her leg and jammed her foot into my face, using it as a base to help her pull. I closed my eyes and strained a scream as she continued to yank away at my head; each tug she made shot more pain through my body. I thought I was going to die.  
  
The pain began to get worse. One pull she made hurt so much that it shook me out of the paralysis I was in. My first instinct told me to push her off but that didn't work to well. I moved my arms slowly up and grabbed a hold of hers but when I opened my eyes again and looked up I was shocked into letting go when I saw Mamimi standing in Kitsurubami's place with her arms implanted in my forehead.  
  
Right after that another quake came, this one more intense than all the others. The shaking forced me to jerk forward and Mamimi to jerk backward which also tossed her off of me. A huge light flashed during the moment that she was flung away from me. My whole body felt weak and hot but the pain was gone and I could see perfectly again. I saw Ninamori staring at me and I saw Amarao struggling to his feet but I didn't see Kitsurubami or Mamimi anymore. When I looked at the body that had been flung away from me I didn't see Mamimi's blue sweater and brown skirt or her raspberry hair; I didn't see Kitsurubami's black suit and dark hair; I saw an ugly red vest and some black tights, tan gloves, bright pink hair, and those all too familiar green eyes that quickly locked onto mine.  
  
"So it was you," Amarao said while holding his face and leaning on a dresser over by the bed.  
  
"Haruko..." She smiled and waved at me.  
  
I had a lot more to say but our words were cut short when we heard a loud crash and everything shook again as the entire front portion of the building got ripped away by the fist of that giant Canti that now stood before us kneeling down and looking into the room at us trough the hole it just made.  
  
"Naota!" screamed Ninamori. Like I could do anything about this.  
  
The giant machine looked over the people in the room, stopped, then it spotted me and its screen lit up a bright red, fading back down and showing a twisted, glowing red symbol. It was the same mark that had appeared on Canti's screen in the past and one that I was now familiar with. The mark of Atomsk.  
  
What was funny is that it didn't reach for me or make any attempt to kill me at all, even though it could. It turned its attention to Haruko, who was still sitting in that same spot she landed in. She immediately popped up from her spot and jumped into a defensive position; in her arms she held her signature weapon, a bass guitar but not the blue one that Kitsurubami had been smacking people with. She now held a glowing red guitar, and just looking at it made my head hurt.  
  
/_\  
  
For a moment there was silence; no one moved or said anything. I still sat weak, leaned up against the wall, Amarao leaned against the dresser, Ninamori on the bed, and the giant Canti unmoving, all of us watching Haruko as she leaned forward and took off running, straight at the giant. When she got a few feet away from him, she jumped up at his screen and disappeared into it in a red flash. The giant stood up.  
  
"Okay," Amarao said. "What the hell just happened?"  
  
"I don't know," I said as I stood.  
  
"Naota, are you okay?" I looked over at Ninamori and nodded. "What's that on your forehead?" she asked, pointing, and I looked up like I could really see it from here.  
  
I walked back over to Amarao and looked at him. "It's the symbol of Atomsk," he said.  
  
"What's going on?" I asked.  
  
"You're asking me?"  
  
"Yes. You told me that they came to destroy us, not pull crap out of my head!"  
  
"I don't get it either. This is all wrong," he said. He then walked over to where Kitsurubami dropped the blue guitar before she had pounced on me and picked it up. "And she was an imposter. What happened to the real Kitsurubami?"  
  
"I got rid of her a long time ago," someone said. It was Haruko's voice coming from the giant.  
  
"What?" I looked up just in time to see Haruko forcing her way out of the giant's screen, doing so in the same manner as I had a year ago.  
  
Another explosion of red light took place. When the flash dulled to the point where we could all see again, all out attention was shifted to the faceless red spot in the sky. It was Haruko and she was glowing with the same light that covered me that day, the day when I burst free from Canti, when I was taken by Atomsk's power. Her eyes seemed as nothing but white spots and her form was slightly distorted but it was definitely her and this was definitely a problem.  
  
"Hey, Ta-Kun," she said, looking down at me. "Your head's a little stubborn."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You and I can play later but right now I've got something to take care of." She looked back up to the sky and then disappeared in another flash of light. The giant Canti didn't waste any time either. It immediately stormed away, after Haruko I'm guessing. Meanwhile, Amarao, Ninamori, and I just stood there looking at each other in confusion. ~ 


	10. Homecomming!

It's all coming to a close now. There's only two ch's left and this happens to be one of them. Sorry if it's not my best work. I was in a rush to finish so I put this together in about a half hour. Um....yeah. Thx again to QS, such a nice young lady and thx to the readers. Enjoy! =================================  
  
Which is more shocking: the fact that Mamimi and Kitsurubami were imposters or that Haruko is back? For Amarao, I'm sure it's that his right-hand woman has been long gone. When Haruko said that she'd gotten rid of the real Kitsurubami, Amarao's expression alone told the whole story of how he felt. As for me, it's that Haruko is back.  
  
Right now I'm not at all mad that she impersonated Mamimi and seduced me; I'm not at all mad that she impersonated Kitsurubami and stole from me or that she clocked me with that guitar and put me though all that pain. It hurt, but any anger that may have been there immediately disappeared when I saw Haruko's face. The trembling in my body and the pain in my head—it all went away when I saw her. All the confusion about seeing Kitsurubami act like that and knowing that the Mamimi that lived with me up until now was a fake, none of that seemed to matter. In my mind now there was only Haruko, I couldn't stop staring at her and even now while she's gone, off doing who knows what, I can't take my mind off of her.  
  
"Naota. Naaoota!"  
  
"Hm. What?"  
  
"You daydreaming or what?" Amarao said. "You've been staring at that wall for that past five minutes now."  
  
"Oh." I didn't realize I was doing that. "I was just thinking about something, that's all."  
  
"About that girl, Harkro, right?"  
  
"It's Haruko."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"So what are we going to do?" I asked.  
  
"Just like I told you before," Amarao said. "All she wants is Atomsk's power. She doesn't care about you or this town. We're practically finished."  
  
"Well, she has it right?" Amarao and I both turned back to the bed where Ninamori was. Up until this point she had barely said anything at all. I smiled a bit, relieved that she was okay. "She should leave us alone right?"  
  
"Yeah," I agreed.  
  
"Well, theoretically that sounds about right, but I don't think she's going to leave us alone just yet."  
  
"Why not?" I asked. Amarao didn't say a word; he just poked me on the head and walked off toward Ninamori. I hesitated for a second but followed.  
  
/_\  
  
Amarao convinced Ninamori to tell us what happened last night. Like I didn't know already. She said that she left from my house a little upset and just got angrier on her way home. When she came home she got a speech from the gate-watch and then another from each of her parents when she went inside for coming home so late. She refused to tell them where she had been, so then her father went on this trip that she was probably out messing with some boys. Ninamori said that he was probably just joking, but her mother took it to heart. They got into an argument and Ninamori was forced to listen to it until she ran off to her room. She said she sat there in bed all night staring out the window because she couldn't sleep.  
  
She said that around three this morning it started to happen. She got this really bad headache that wouldn't go away no matter how much aspirin she took. Going outside for some air didn't help it either. "That just made it worse," Ninamori said. When she went back inside she collapsed in pain and blanked out. When she awoke later, we were there.  
  
"That's a nice story," I said sarcastically. That got a little smile out of her.  
  
"What happened at Naota's house that upset you so much?" Amarao asked. In fear that Ninamori would say something I didn't want her to, I jumped over to her and cupped my hand over her mouth. She didn't struggle at all, just stared at me strangely.  
  
We stood like that for a few moments. I didn't plan to let go until Ninamori figured out what I was doing it for, but I ended up moving away earlier than planned when we heard a loud crashing sound and felt a strong tremor under us. What did it mean? Haruko was out there doing something.  
  
"Which brings us back to this," Amarao said.  
  
"What do we do?" I asked.  
  
Amarao walked over to the window and looked out. "I've got a plan," he said confidently. "But we'll have to go back to your house first."  
  
"Mine?" I said as I pointed to myself. "Why mine?"  
  
"You'll see," he said as he continued to look out the window.  
  
So we headed back to my place; Amarao, Ninamori, and I all packed into Amarao's little car and went.  
  
On the way down to the car, I asked Amarao what his plan was, although I said it in a more rude way and for that I got a guitar thrown at me. It was the bass guitar that Kitsurubami attacked us with, the one that Haruko left behind, the one that Amarao picked up and held on to, and the one that hit me in the gut when Amarao threw it at me. I had completely forgotten that he had this thing and I felt a little strange holding it now.  
  
The ride back was quicker and more silent than the one going to Ninamori's. I'd asked Amarao once more about his plan once we were all in the car, but he seemed to ignore me so I just let it go for now. Ninamori didn't say anything either, I guess because she didn't have too much to say. No more than ten minutes later we were back in front of my house. Amarao ordered me out first; he told me to check and see if Kamon was home. I'm sad to say that I had forgotten all about him. So I turned to do what Amarao asked me to do.  
  
"We're all depending on you," Amarao said out the window. Like so many other times recently, I was confused, and I became even more confused when he threw the guitar out the window at me and again hit me in the gut. I didn't even get to speak again before he pulled off in the car, too fast for me to bother trying to chase. Was this his plan? If it was, it wasn't a very good one.  
  
I was still confused five minutes later when I finally decided to go inside. I picked the bass guitar up from the ground and brought it in with me. I planned to just throw it back into the closet where it belonged, but I stopped in the kitchen to pick up something to drink before I went upstairs. I should have known something was up when I first got out of the car and my head began to feel hotter and hotter as I walked into the house, and even more as I began my way up the stairs.  
  
But it was strange how quickly that heat subsided when I walked into my room and saw her sitting up on the top bunk, dangling her feet over the edge and looking down at the floor. She didn't spot me until I dropped my cup and the guitar on my shoe and shouted when my foot hurt. When I returned my gaze to her I was again greeted by Haruko's haunting green eyes and her completely lost gaze. No more than a second after that, she pounced on me from the bed.  
  
/_\  
  
I can't even accurately explain how scared I was when I saw her jump at me, her expression changing from that lost gaze to a sinister one. My heart beat so hard then that I thought it was going to break through my ribs and fly out of my chest. I was even more scared when she landed on me and pinned me down to the floor. I didn't know what to do but I couldn't move to do anything even if I did. I was trembling, my pulse was going out of control, and my eyes were wide open for a moment. That all stopped when she leaned over and licked me across the face. My eyes squinted up quickly and I stopped shaking, but my heart didn't beat any slower. I wasn't scared anymore, just confused again.  
  
"Aak!" I screamed. "That's disgusting!" She smiled at me and let her tongue hang out like she was a dog.  
  
"I was waitin' for ya, Ta-Kun. You come to play?"  
  
"Um, no?"  
  
"Aw, you're no fun," she said as she jumped off of me and went back up to the top bunk. I stood from the floor and walked towards her.  
  
I didn't speak at first, I just looked over her. The first thing I noticed was that she wasn't glowing red anymore. She still had that red guitar at her side but she was no longer powered up by it. I guess that's a good thing.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I asked.  
  
"Where are your friends?" she said hesitantly, purposely avoiding my question.  
  
"They're not here..."  
  
She hopped down from the top bunk and stood right in front of me. "Good. Then we can play without them getting in the way."  
  
"What are you doing here?" I said again but this time in a lower tone.  
  
"I came to see you, Ta-Kun. We got something to do."  
  
"No. I mean what are you doing here, period? Why are you after Atomsk? Why's all this happening to me?" I didn't really expect her to answer any of that because I hadn't really planned on asking any of it, but it just came out anyway. Amarao made me think of it and if I had the opportunity to find out, I'd take it.  
  
Haruko just stared at me for a minute with this stupid look on her face without speaking, grinning with one eye half closed and her arms crossed. "Okay Ta-Kun," she said finally. "If you really want to know..." She walked a bit closer to me and put her hand on my forehead. "But we're going to do this the easy way." There was a small flash of red light that came from her hand and a bolt of pain that ran through my head. Haruko closed her eyes, I closed mine, and I knew it all.  
  
/_\  
  
Haruko is a lot older than she looks. Maybe twenty-five years ago Haruko experienced what we would have experienced: the flattening of her planet.  
  
Twenty-five years ago MM arrived on her world and a year later they flattened it, sucking it dry just like Amarao said they did. There were very few who escaped from all that and Haruko was one of the lucky ones. With nowhere to go, she followed MM around and watched them drain out dozens of other planets just like they did to hers. Just a few years after that she found herself following them here.  
  
By the time Haruko landed on earth she'd known all about MM, representatives from a dying planet that can't live on its own, so they go around stealing what they need to keep their world running. Along the way, they captured a being of incredible power. They called it Atomsk; unfortunately for them, Atomsk escaped and apparently came here. MM and Haruko followed.  
  
Haruko figured that if she was able to take Atomsk's power for herself, she would also be able to destroy MM but she didn't really know how. That's when she learned all about the N-O field and how it was used. Her first attempt to use it to pull out Atomsk failed. Her subject was a little boy, younger than me with reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes and thick eyebrows. His head worked just right but instead of pulling out power she pulled out a blue bass guitar. After that, his head stopped working so she just kept the guitar and left.  
  
Between then and the time she found me, I had been born, MM had built the Iron Fist plant, and people just seemed to forget how they came or just didn't care where they came from. Typical of people from around here. And they would have gotten rid of us a long time ago, but they'd rather have gotten Atomsk back first. They saw us as no threat of stopping them from doing so. Then Haruko found me...  
  
/_\  
  
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on the floor at Haruko's feet. I looked up at her and she was just standing there, smiling at me.  
  
"Have any interesting dreams?" she said.  
  
I stood up slowly and looked at her. "What did you just do?"  
  
"I did what you asked me to do. I told you my story."  
  
"I didn't ask for that."  
  
"Yeah you did."  
  
"Well, if that's what happened," I said, "then you're just some kind of stupid alien that's out for revenge." She just giggled at me.  
  
"You're so gullible," she said, still giggling.  
  
"So, that's not what happened?" I asked.  
  
"Well," she said as she reached back onto the top bunk and pulled down her red guitar. "Haven't you ever heard what they say, Ta-Kun? Ask a silly question, you get a silly answer." She laughed a bit more.  
  
"So, what did happen, then?" She shook her head at me and stepped back.  
  
"That doesn't matter right now," she said. "It's time for us to have a little fun."  
  
"Fun?" She nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I didn't get it all last time," she said as she began to stroke her guitar. "The mark is still on your head."  
  
I slapped my hand over my forehead after I realized what she was talking about. "So..." She smiled.  
  
"Well, I can't just have half of it," she said. "So break off the rest of that eyebrow thingie and we can get to work."  
  
"Work?" I wish everything didn't have to be so confusing all the time.  
  
"The only way for me to get it out of you this time is by beating it out of you, but if this is going to be that last time we see each other Ta-Kun, I want it to be fun." I didn't want this to be the last time I saw Haruko, but it seemed that she didn't feel the same way.  
  
What I thought was stupid though is that she told me to just pull the piece off. I've found out on several occasions already that this thing isn't just going to come off by me tugging at it—but it did. I barely touched it and it fell off.  
  
From there it was just a matter of time. I turned around and picked up Haruko's blue guitar that lay on the ground behind me and I held it in my arms. The ground began to shake and everything became bathed in a light that seemed to come from nowhere. I couldn't see anything but I could hear Haruko laughing in the background.  
  
It stayed bright like that for a while. During that time I felt like I had passed out because everything turned black and I couldn't see or hear anything, but when I opened my eyes I didn't see that light anymore, just Haruko standing there, glowing red in Atomsk's power and myself doing the same. ~ 


	11. Goodbye Kiss

Well this is it, the last chapter. Um....it took about a week to get this in but its here. I'm personally not very fond of the ending that I WROTE but I've found that someone likes it. Anyway, final thanks to QS for all her help. I really appreciate it. Thanks! This is this is it. After this I'll probably work on my manga for Fiction-press.....maybe. Enjoy! =====================================  
  
For the first time in a long time I felt confident about something; I felt good, unbeatable, or maybe that was just the Atomsk part talking. Like before it seemed to take control over me. I saw perfectly fine, my body felt like it was mine to manipulate, but my thoughts didn't seem to be all Naota. It's like all I wanted to do was attack, to kill my opponent and not hold back in the least—which, I might add, wasn't at all what I really wanted at the moment.  
  
I hesitated; Haruko, however, didn't waste any time going on an all out offensive. She charged at me in a flash and I found myself guarding my head from the swing of her weapon. The connection of her guitar and mine, when I used it to defend, set off a loud sound, like lightening striking the ground, and a mysterious wind kicked up from inside the house, blowing fiercely and wrecking my room. If that wasn't bad enough for the place, when I finally got Haruko to back off for a moment, I caused even more damage.  
  
She took a slight step back to regain her composure, probably preparing to attack again, when I saw my own opportunity to attack. I held my guitar up high and swung down hard at her. I apparently forgot that she had the ability to levitate because that's what she did— straight up and I missed her completely, blowing a huge hole in my floor. Part of me was pissed off but the other part just didn't care. It only wanted to kill. Had I more control over my own mind, I might have seen what was coming next.  
  
Without the slightest bit of warning, Haruko went back into attack mode. She was back in my face in no time, before I even thought of my next move she had swung again and hit me like I was fastball pitched low, and like an excellent batter she turned the pitch into a high fly-ball to center field. Unfortunately, my bedroom isn't as large as a baseball field so when I went flying, so did most of the roof on my house. I'm not even sure how far I flew before I landed, hard and loud with a crash into the street; a clear homer. If this was it, right now, I wasn't really liking Amarao's little plan.  
  
It did seem like he knew though. He gave me the bass guitar, dropped me off, and told me to go inside; and then he just left without a word and it just so happens that Haruko is inside waiting for me. It's like he wanted this to happen.  
  
Well, I didn't have much time to think about any of that either. In a flash of light, Haruko again stood before me but she didn't attack at first; she just stared at me. So I stood to my feet a little nervously and stared back in the same manner.  
  
For the next few minutes the two of us stood like that while people began to gather around us but at a distance. Most of them were inside their homes, watching us through the windows while others hid inside or behind cars. Some stuck their heads out their doors to see and others did the smart thing and just took off from the scene.  
  
After another moment, Haruko took a step toward me. "Hey, Ta-Kun," she said after looking around a bit. "You ready for round two?"  
  
No! I thought to myself. Although, I don't know why, I nodded in response to her question. She obviously understood better than I did because she immediately made a dash for me. I jumped into a defensive stance, ready to take the force of whatever strike she would try, but she didn't attack. Instead, she flew straight up into the air, stopped and held her guitar up high as it began to glow brighter. Then, in one fluid motion, she swung it down and kicked her legs up as a huge red beam came flying down at me. I unintentionally, or rather, instinctively flew out of the way, taking nothing more but a little blow from the blast wave as it hit the ground. I was the lucky one.  
  
/_\  
  
That little blow from the blast wave came from the huge explosion that the beam made. From the time it began its decent to the moment the dust finally cleared from the explosion it caused, you could hear the people screaming below us. The crater it made alone took up about three blocks in either direction and the blast wave that extended toppled just as many buildings.  
  
Haruko didn't seem to care though. She just stared down, waiting for me to move. For some reason, I didn't care either.  
  
But I didn't wait any longer; I went on the attack. On this one I caught Haruko off guard. I rushed in at her as she had done to me earlier, but I didn't swing. She evaded me anyway though, so I swung in the same direction as she moved. I hit hard and sent her flying just as I had when she hit me. She recovered quicker than I did though but I was ready for that.  
  
I wasted no time following after I got my hit in, so by the time she turned back to see me, I was over her and attacking again. This time I swung down which sent her sailing into the ground and again I followed up on the attack. I went straight down after her and tackled so when she hit the ground, she hit harder with the extra weight that I applied from my holding on to her.  
  
The two of us hitting the ground together brought about another flash of light and the destruction of even more of the city and yet another large crater. But I did not move, I stayed on and pinned her down the moment we hit. Strangely, Haruko didn't struggle or cuss, nor try to force me off. She just looked at me.  
  
"This remind you of anything?" she said.  
  
I thought for a moment. "You were on top last time," I said in response. It was a fine time to make a joke. She just smiled at me and after all that attacking I just did, you'd think she'd be mad or something, but it seemed more like she was enjoying this.  
  
Haruko's smile turned into a grin before she finally kicked me off. I landed softly but I was too slow to stop Haruko from retrieving her weapon and mine as well.  
  
"Fun's almost over, Ta," she said. From there the fight became a one sided one. Haruko rushed in and smashed me with one guitar and followed up with the next one. She seemed to be a whole lot faster than she was before. I'd go flying from the hit and barely get my balance back before she was at it again. I managed to avoid a few shots but not enough of them. This just kept on going until the end. The final shot that she put in to end the fight really ended the fight.  
  
It ended here. I was on the ground when it hit me, struggling to my feet. I was still on my knees when she struck me. She held both guitars high in the air, then had slammed them both down hard on my back. My body immediately returned to the ground where I'd lay for a while to come; Haruko also got tossed to the ground by a blast as the two instruments smashed into pieces across me. It was painful but the thought of it was funny: she went through all that trouble to get that thing just to break it.  
  
And that was it for our big fight. All the fun was over. I felt my entire body cool down in an instant as that power inside of me began to fade. The mark on my forehead left as did the red glow that surrounded me. My whole body ached and felt weak as I imagine Haruko must have felt as well. I watched as the glow left her too. What was strange though is how Haruko just laid there on her back smiling.  
  
/_\  
  
"Why so short though?" Haruko said as she laid there. I struggled up to my feet and made my way over to her, stopping by her feet and looking down at her. She looked up at me and said, "Too short, right, Ta?"  
  
What? I thought to myself as I raised an eyebrow. "What's too short?"  
  
"The fun," she said and sat up. "I wanted to have more fun."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Ya know! That's the reason Med. Mechanica lost Atomsk in the first place. No one can hold on to him for too long. You taught me that." Again, I'm lost in confusion. Sometimes I swear that people do this on purpose—confuse me—like they think it's funny to see me stumped or something.  
  
"Well, would you mind explaining that?"  
  
"I will," someone said. And who would it be walking out of nowhere and without warning? Amarao, one of those people who always seems to show up when you least expect them to, followed by Ninamori, another one.  
  
"Where'd you come from?" I asked.  
  
"We were following you," he said. "We watched the whole thing." I guess that means they watched me get my butt kicked.  
  
Ninamori wasted no time in running over and hugging me, asking if I was okay. I nodded but she didn't let go, she just turned to Haruko and glared at her.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"Okay," Amarao said. "Remember how you got Atomsk's power before, but it left you?" I nodded. "Well, that's only because it can't be contained for too long and your pink-haired friend over there knew that. That's why MM lost it in the first place."  
  
Again I must say, I'm lost in confusion. If Haruko knew that she wouldn't be able to keep any of that power, what was the whole point of her even coming here? Should I bother asking and risk even more confusion? Or should I just leave it where it is and not bother? I'll bother.  
  
"So what was the point of all this then?" Amarao shrugged, Ninamori shrugged, so I returned my attention to Haruko for an answer.  
  
Haruko didn't say a thing at first. She just stood to her feet and glared back at Ninamori, who began to hug me tighter not in a fearful way but in more of a possessive manner.  
  
"I just wanted to have a little fun with Ta-Kun," Haruko said finally. "For old time's sake."  
  
Riight. I thought. Now it all makes sense—or am I just so confused that it just sounds right?  
  
"That's all well and good," Amarao said. "But now that we've got all that out of the way, I'll do what I came here to do."  
  
"And what's that?" I said sarcastically as Amarao walked in front of me.  
  
"I'm taking her in. I've got a nice prison cell picked out and everything." Haruko's eyes lit up instantaneously as Amarao pulled out a pair of handcuffs and approached her. Haruko just staggered around there for a moment before she fell back down to her butt. I could tell she was weak, exactly how I felt. She was defenseless and she probably deserved it, but I just couldn't let it happen.  
  
This was strange; Amarao didn't at all seem concerned with the fact that our once fair city was now separated in patches of rubble. He continued on without thought of it like a lioness stalking its prey and it was eerie how similar his face was to a hunting animal.  
  
I broke away from the weepy Ninamori and dashed over in front of Haruko. Amarao looked at me like I was stupid, but I knew that wasn't the case. I set my feet and threw my arms out defensively to protect and I wasn't moving.  
  
"Naota?"  
  
"Was this your plan?" I asked. "Did you know about all this?"  
  
"I knew she would come back and I've been waiting ever since, but I didn't think it would turn out like this," Amarao said. "Either way it's going to end here. Now move!"  
  
"No. I'm not moving." And I just stood there, staring at Amarao while he stared back at me. I didn't know what he was going to do; he seemed to get very angry all of a sudden, but unless he was going to shoot me, I wasn't moving.  
  
After awhile Haruko stood up slowly behind me. I could hear her moving and I looked back to see. She stepped up and hugged me softly around my waist. "That's okay Ta-Kun," she said. "I didn't plan on staying anyway." Again, I was confused but not too much. I was still more baffled by everything else that went on today.  
  
"Naota, move before she tries to escape." I just glared back over at Amarao, unmoving and silent, but Haruko acted like she wanted to fight. She pushed me aside and stepped forward, almost as if she were inviting him to make a move. Amarao took that bait; he came running in at Haruko and without breaking a sweat, she stopped him dead in his tracks. All she did was hold out her arm and he stopped like he ran into a wall and she never even touched him.  
  
All of a sudden Amarao grabs the side of his head like he's in pain and starts screaming. What was she doing to him? She was just using his head like she used to do me, I could tell. A second later his head lit up and something popped out of it. It was that little motorbike that Haruko was always on, the one she hit me with when we first met. Amarao fell to the ground immediately after, while Haruko just stood there smiling at the sight.  
  
"N-Naota?" I looked back at Ninamori, who seemed to be horrified at what had just happened, I don't know why though. I ignored her while I continued to watch Haruko as she boarded her vehicle.  
  
"Well, Ta-Kun, this is g'bye again," she said.  
  
"Where are you going?" I asked.  
  
"Somewhere. Hey, you wanna come?" I looked at her and blinked. The last time she said that she chose an answer for me and left. I didn't answer anyway, I just looked back at Ninamori as she walked over to me. "Nah. You're probably still too young. See ya," she said, jetted off down the road, and turned the first corner she got to. After that, I didn't hear her bike anymore. I just sighed and looked down at my feet.  
  
It hadn't really been a question before and it still really wasn't one now but the more I thought about it the more compelled I felt to answer; how do I feel about Haruko?  
  
When I saw her face for the first time, I felt relieved, I didn't care how much pain I had just been in, and when I saw her upstairs in my room, I began to feel better for some reason. I didn't even care that she had disguised herself as Mamimi and tricked me all this time. Even now I didn't care that, a few moments ago, she had been kicking the crap out of me. But now I had this real bad feeling in my stomach, a sick feeling, but I knew I wasn't ill. It came from me missing Haruko, and she'd only been gone a few seconds. I had to do something.  
  
"Hey, Ninamori," I said without looking at her. "I have to go somewhere."  
  
"Go? Where are you going? You want me to come with you?" It would be real strange if she came.  
  
"No," I said. Right now I felt even worse knowing what I was about to do. So instead of saying anything else I turned to Ninamori and looked her in the eyes. She looked back at me, more confused than I've ever been, and before she got the chance to speak, I leaned in, kissed her lightly on her lips, and stepped back.  
  
"Oh," she squeaked. I just had to smile at how hard she blushed, but I didn't give her any time to say anything else. I turned and took off down the road and heading toward that corner Haruko turned, trying my best not to look back at Ninamori who was probably just standing there and blinking in confusion. Once I turned that corner though, all thoughts of Ninamori were gone.  
  
And it was just like I thought—Haruko hadn't left at all. When I hit the corner, I immediately spotted her leaning against her little bike, smiling and staring back at me. At that moment, nothing else seemed to matter to me. Not the town, not Ninamori, not Kamon or Amarao. I had fallen back in love with Haruko but I didn't want to say it, not yet anyway.  
  
"I knew you wanted to come, Ta-Kun." I didn't know or care where she planned on going, but do know I'm glad she waited for me.~ 


End file.
